OLD RED DEVONIAN SANDSTONES ІN THE ARCHITECTURE OF LVIV: KEY HISTORICAL STAGES AND APPLICATION FEATURES

Abstract

This study identifies the principal stages and characteristics of the use of old red devonian sandstones within the architectural environment of Lviv. It has been established that in the 16th–18th centuries, owing to complex logistics and the specific physico-mechanical properties of the rock, its application was limited and strictly pragmatic – serving primarily to reinforce architectural elements subjected to maximum mechanical load (such as stair flights and thresholds). The combination of red-coloured sandstone with light local limestone is examined, whereby the former provided a durable load-bearing base and protection of structures from moisture and contamination, while the latter served as the principal material for wall construction and the execution of carved decorative elements. Particular attention is devoted to the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, when the advent of railway transport and the transition to industrial-scale extraction transformed red-coloured sandstone into a primary material for the realisation of architectural concepts. The stone became the basis of polychromatic façades and subsequently functioned as a protective cladding layer for reinforced concrete structures of modernism. In the memorial stonework of Lychakiv Necropolis of this period, it became a widespread–and in some cases predominant–material for monolithic crosses, stelae, and funerary structures, demonstrating the exceptional durability of carved forms and inscriptions. During the Soviet period, the dominant trend was a transition to the industrial production of paving slabs and cladding elements. Despite the standardisation of products, the widespread use of this material in public spaces contributed to the preservation of the natural stone texture within the urban environment and established Terebovlia sandstone as an integral component of Lviv’s architectural identity. It is demonstrated that the evolution of the use of red-coloured sandstones from Devonian deposits progressed from a localised engineering solution to a large-scale architectural strategy, in which the key determining factors were the physico-mechanical properties, logistical accessibility, and decorative potential of the material.