Frost Hub

Some buildings are easy to overlook on a city map, yet they quietly determine how an economy moves, how quickly products reach consumers, and how reliably businesses operate. Logistics centers belong to this category. They rarely create a visible event, but they sustain the continuity of processes we rely on every day, often without realizing how complex they are.

FROST HUB in Vinnytsia emerged precisely as a response to this need — to create infrastructure capable of supporting multiple scenarios of storage and distribution, from the agricultural sector to pharmaceuticals, from retail to large-scale distribution. The idea was not simply to build another warehouse, but to develop an environment that supports a full cold chain and takes on part of the logistical responsibility for the businesses it serves.

In this project, architecture begins with the function of temperature. The space must operate with equal precision for deep freezing, chilled zones, and dry storage. As a result, the building takes the form of a clear and rational Class A structure with a total area of 20,720 m² and a storage height of up to 11 meters, allowing the volume to be used efficiently while accommodating a wide range of product formats.

The facility is divided into two phases of construction. This approach allows investment to be made gradually, adapting development to the real needs of the market. Each phase can operate independently, yet both are internally connected, enabling warehouse equipment to move between them without leaving the building and ensuring the continuity of the technological process.

The structural system is designed around the logic of logistics. A prefabricated reinforced concrete frame with a 12 × 24 meter column grid provides flexibility in planning refrigerated chambers ranging from 500 to 750 m², allowing the space to be adapted to different client formats. The walls are made of light-colored sandwich panels that minimize overheating and help maintain stable temperature conditions. At the ends of each phase, 18-meter-wide loading areas are arranged with dock seals at the gates, creating a controlled transition between the internal environment and external logistics operations.

FROST HUB is conceived not simply as a storage facility, but as a platform for services. It brings together the capabilities of a 3PL operator, automated WMS systems, customs brokerage support, and build-to-suit solutions, where infrastructure is tailored to specific clients already at the design stage. This approach allows businesses to work not with square meters, but with a fully integrated logistics ecosystem.

Its location in Vinnytsia reinforces this logic. The city sits at the intersection of important transport routes, while its proximity to the borders with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania makes the complex a natural hub for international distribution. In this context, architecture functions as an instrument that connects local producers with global markets.

Sustainability also plays an important role in the project. The complex is designed with a 3.5 MW power connection and the potential to integrate renewable energy sources. It includes its own water supply wells and local wastewater treatment facilities. The facility is organized in accordance with HACCP, ISO, and ESG standards, establishing a new benchmark of responsibility for contemporary industrial architecture.

Even within a purely functional facility, a human scale finds its place. Above the loading and dispatch area, office and support spaces are planned for future tenants, while next to the building a series of recreational areas with terraces and access to the nearby river creates moments of pause. It is a small but meaningful counterbalance within an environment that typically operates without interruption.

An additional layer of safety is provided by a shelter designed for 200 people, located in the underground part of the complex. It is another example of how contemporary infrastructure responds to the realities in which it exists.

FROST HUB illustrates how logistics becomes an architectural task. It is not about form, but about the precision of processes, energy efficiency, and the ability to operate reliably over the long term. The project will create approximately 150 new jobs for the city of Vinnytsia and bring around €10 million in investment during the first phase of development. The launch of the first phase of the complex is planned for 2027.

The project is being implemented in partnership with the Cold Logistics Center LLC.