Art Nouveau is found everywhere in Odessa, and it seems the city had some blooming years around 1900. The Odessa art nouveau is characterised by its massive use of ornaments and sculptures in the facade. Some of it is clearly in the German/Austrian tradition as I recognise it from my hometown Ålesund. But much of it has roots in the baroque style, with it use of organic and symmetrical motives. You will also find wonderful houses inspired by Arabic architecture, as a confirmation of this city's position as a cultural melting pot by the Black sea.
It is clearly a challenge now to keep these houses with all its details, as many of them are in a very bad condition. Many houses has hole in the wall, missing parts of balconies and pieces falling down. Maybe this is more a result of how housing is managed in Ukraine than about the economic ability? Still Odessa is an architectural stimulation to the eye.
