Hasta La Ideas

Polish studio Ingarden & Ewý has slotted a theatre and library around the nineteenth century structure of a former horse-riding arena in Kraków (+ slideshow).

Bringing together two existing organisations, the Małopolska Garden of Arts (MGA) contains both the Małopolska Voivodeship Library and the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre that had been already been using the old building as a venue for workshops.

Architects Krzysztof Ingarden and Jacek Ewý extended the building to create a T-shaped plan, surrounded by a glass curtain wall with a cloak of chunky clay louvres.

This stripy cladding was designed with an uneven profile to mirror the shapes of surrounding buildings. Ingarden describes this as a game between “mimesis and the abstraction”, meaning that the building both refers to its context and is distinctly different from it.

The library occupies the western wing of the T-shaped plan, while the theatre stretches north to south, beside a large indoor garden filled with benches, planting beds and a maple tree.

Partially sheltered beneath a skeletal roof, this space is open to the public and was designed to “transport the gateway to the stage out onto the street” and hence entice visitors into the theatre, cinema, events room and cafe.

The library has its own entrance and contains three floors of reading rooms and study areas that face out onto a pedestrian passageway along the side of the building.

Ingarden & Ewý won a competion to design the Małopolska Garden of Arts back in 2005 and it finally opened to the public last month.

It was also recently awarded the Janusz Bogdanowski Award for making the greatest contribution to architecture in Kraków in 2012.

See more projects in Poland, including the world’s narrowest house and a sports centre with rooftop tennis courts.

Photography is by Krzysztof Ingarden.

Here’s more information from Ingarden & Ewy

The building of the Małopolska Garden of Arts (MGA) has been constructed according to a competition-winning (Union of Polish Architects, SARP 2005) design by Ingarden & Ewy Architects. The initiative of establishing a new cultural institution in Kraków was proposed a year earlier by Krzysztof Orzechowski, Director of the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre and Janusz Sepioł, at the time the Marshal of the Małopolska Region. It is no coincidence that the building was raised in the vicinity of ul. Karmelicka – a street popular with students and locals alike – opposite the building of the public library, with the aim of ensuring its smooth inclusion into the “bloodstream” of the city.

The building of MGA introduced new spatial order to the old backyards and ruined buildings in Rajska and Szujskiego streets in Krakow. The starting point was a multifunctional hall, which was entered into the outline of the old, 19th-century horse-riding arena, used in the last years of its history as workshops and storage space for the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Kraków.

The Małopolska Garden of Arts is a cross between two institutions: the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre and the Malopolska Voivodeship Library. The wing on Szujskiego Street holds a modern art and media library, with multimedia books and music, while the section standing on ul. Rajska has been developed by the theatre, and is equipped with a multifunctional events hall. The new hall – operating, as a studio theatre, conference room, concert hall, and venue for banquets and exhibitions – holds retractable stages for 300 people. State-of-the-art stage technology is present overhead: fixed on hoists and cranes to the steel ceiling girders. This allows dramas and concerts to be performed, and exhibitions, film screenings, symposiums, conferences, art auctions, fashion shows, and many more events to be held. Altogether, the space of about 4300 sq.m houses a theatre together with a cosy cinema with 98 seats, a café, and premises for the organisation of educational, art-related activities.

Honing the form, the architects focused on interaction with the future recipients, which is why the entire spatial form of the symbolic, openwork roofing raised over the garden from the side of Rajska Street – though not functioning as an actual roof – is there to transport the gateway to the stage out onto the street. In this way, the building delicately nudges passers-by with the skilful manipulation of the form, already at first glance giving the onlooker the impression of going beyond the borders of a garden, where culture is grown in evenly planted rows. Further proof of the sophisticated play with the space is the garden itself. Imitating flower beds, the equal bands with low greens are a metaphor of a garden: as much as the architects could afford here. A notable fact is that historically “ulica Rajska” – literally “Paradise Street” – led to the Garden of Paradise, which was later replaced by the developments of the Tobacco Works.

Architect Krzysztof Ingarden (collaborating with Jacek Ewý), claims that the form of the building is a contextual game between “mimesis and the abstraction”. In practice, this means that the building is by no means a simulacrum of the context, but rather draws inspiration from the code of contextual forms by making references to the geometry of the roofs and tissue of the neighbouring structures applied for the abstract geometrical compositions of the façades. The building fits the scale of its environment perfectly by maintaining the lines of the roof and divisions of the façades in line with the composition and linear solutions of the neighbouring buildings.

The final impact is the result of the designers’ sensitivity to signals coming from the environment. For example, the opening in the perforated roof of the garden was formed, especially for the maple tree that grows there. In recognition of its exquisite sense of spatial composition and creative form in historical context, the building was awarded with the Professor Janusz Bogdanowski Prize, for the best architectural achievement in Krakow in the year 2012.

In this place, the cultural life of the Kraków’s young artistic set will blossom under a shared roof. Modern ballet, contemporary theatre forms, audio and video arts, concerts, and all and any other artistic pursuits will find their home here.

Above: computer rendering

Above: basement plan

Above: ground floor plan

Above: first floor plan

Above: section A-A – click above for larger image

Above: section B-B – click above for larger image

Above: section C-C – click above for larger image

Above: section D-D – click above for larger image

Above: section E-E – click above for larger image

Above: west elevation – click above for larger image

Above: south elevation – click above for larger image

The post Małopolska Garden of Arts
by Ingarden & Ewý appeared first on Dezeen.

A grid of red sandstone panels dominates every side of this university library in Katowice, Poland, by architects HS99 (+ slideshow).

Architects Dariusz Herman, Piotr Smierzewski and Wojciech Subalski arranged the rectangular panels in a brickwork-style pattern to ”relate to the raw clay bricks on the neighbouring buildings,” but used a different scale.

Gaps between the panels create hundreds of narrow windows, which become slivers of light all over the facade after dark.

HS99 won a competition back in 2002 to design the library, which houses a series of scientific and economic collections for the University of Silesia and is the first stage in a campus-wide redevelopment.

Three large floors form the main volume of the library, matching the scale of the neighbouring university campus buildings, while three upper floors with a smaller footprint create a slab-like tower at the north-east corner.

The architects planned this taller block as a visual marker for students, directing them towards the public square that lines the edge of the building.

Students enter the library through a three-storey-high atrium, which leads to reading rooms, group study areas, conference rooms and individual workspaces amongst the bookshelves.

Above: photograph is by Tomasz Zakrzewski

“The interiors are zoned to respond to the many ways in which research and study can take place,” Smierzewski told Dezeen. “We’ve create a wide variety of environments ranging from social to intimate.”

Above: photograph is by Tomasz Zakrzewski

Precast concrete panels cover the interior walls, while grated ceilings offer glimpses of the mechanical systems behind them. ”The utilitarian materiality and finishing alludes to the Silesian region’s heritage rooted in mining and other forms of heavy industry,” said Smierzewski.

Other libraries on Dezeen include a glass pyramid by MVRDV and a golden library by COBE and Transform.

See more stories about libraries »

Photography is by Jakub Certowicz, apart from otherwise stated.

Here’s some more information from HS99:

Katowice – CINiBA (The Scientific Information Centre and Academic Library)

In 2002 a competition was launched by the University of Silesia for the design of a new library that would provide a world-class didactic facility for scientific research. The flexibility the winning proposal offered proved to be its major strength when, after securing a building permit, the program was modified to also include the collections of the University of Economics with no changes to the exterior form.

The Scientific Information Centre and Academic Library (Polish acronym: CINiBA) anchors the new campus redevelopment plan to be implemented in the coming years.

Located at the intersection of the east-west axis that forms the spine of the campus, and the north-south axis which connects the recreational grounds by the river to land set aside for further university expansion, the library reinforces the axial organization which has so far been poorly articulated. A central university square at the foot of the library, the FORUM, generates a civic gathering place that opens onto the library’s grand three storey atrium.

The height of the library has been determined by the average height of buildings on the university campus. The north elevation surpassing this height is directed towards the FORUM and houses the library’s closed stacks. This elevation emphasizes the rank and function of the FORUM and is in dialogue with the existing tall buildings which close the east-west axis.

The facades, clad in a repetitious fabric of rich kahan red sandstone, relate to the raw clay bricks on the neighbouring buildings without the connotation of scale inherent to a singular brick element. The exterior treatment abstracts the building’s function of organized book storing while introducing a notion of mystery inseparably connected to books.

Site plan – click for larger image

The lack of discernible scale produces a monolith when seen from afar that is gradually familiarized. Details such as the decreasing proportions of the façade tiling, the irregular cut of the sandstone slabs, as well as the windows carefully nested inside become visible.

Ground floor plan – click for larger image

The fenestration projects a stunning patchwork of light onto the FORUM at night, yet in the daytime allows diffused light to permeate into the library’s reading rooms. The resulting strongly introverted interior composition of the library floors focuses one’s attention onto the books while calming the space. Partial isolation from the external world not only influences the atmosphere within but also introduces a flow of time detached from the pulse of the surrounding city.

First floor plan – click for larger image

Location: Katowice, ul. Bankowa 11a
Client: Consortium of the University of Silesia and University of Economics in Katowice
Design: SARP Competition No. 924: 12.2002 (1st prize)
Building Permit Secured: 2004

Second floor plan – click for larger image

Construction: 2009-2011
Building Footprint: 2 910 m2
Total Floor Area: 10562 m2

Longitudinal section – click for larger image

Volume: 62 560 m3
Net Floor Area: 12 273 m2
Gross Floor Area: 13 260 m2

Cross section – click for larger image

Maximum Volume Storage: 2 000 000 books
Volumes Currently Held: 340 000 books (open collection); 460 000 books (closed collection)

North elevation – click for larger image

Team: HS99, Dariusz Herman, Piotr Smierzewski, Wojciech Subalski,
Cooperation: Rafal Sobieraj, Adam Kulesza, Jacek Moczała, Wojciech Słupczyński
Structural Design: Jan Filipkowski, Joanna Jacoszek, Jerzy Rawski, Mariusz Staszewski

West elevation – click for larger image

The post Katowice Scientific Information Centre
and Academic Library by HS99 appeared first on Dezeen.

Stray balls aren’t a problem on the rooftop tennis court of this sports centre in western Poland by PL.architekci, thanks to the cage that covers the building (+ slideshow).

“The plot was too small to locate a tennis court on the ground, so we decided to put it on the roof,” architect Bartek Bajon told Dezeen. “We designed an eight-metre-high cage to protect people on the ground from falling tennis balls.”

The metal cage wraps the facade and roof of the two-storey building, creating the framework for a row of shutters that can be fastened shut across the glazed elevations.

Inside the centre, a two-storey climbing wall surrounded by a cafe and reception area sits in the crook of the L-shaped plan.

The climbing wall can be seen from almost every other part of the building, which includes bowling alleys, squash courts, a gym and a children’s play area.

Faceted staircases lead up to the rooftop tennis court, which Bajon says offers “picturesque views of the old town, park and lake”.

Other sports centres on Dezeen include a timber-clad football training centre and a sports hall with a rainbow-coloured facade.

See more stories about sport »

See more buildings in Poland »

Photography is by Bartosz Makowski.

Here’s some text from the architects:

Fala Park

Fala Park is a sports and recreation centre situated in the small and picturesque town of Wolsztyn, Poland, famous as the location of a locomotive roundhouse.

The new centre has been built on a former brownfield site bordering a historic park and offering views to a nearby lake.

Our intention was to take full advantage of the sites location by creating visual connections from the building to its attractive surroundings with the main internal spaces requiring natural light having views towards the lake.

A rooftop tennis court – Poland’s first – offers users an exciting platform to admire the far-reaching panorama of the town’s historic church towers and dense rooftops.

The form and massing of the building is derived from the spatial requirements of the sporting functions within.

Although initially Fala Park was supposed to be enclosed, we persuaded the investors to keep it open and welcoming; creating a new, inviting and energetic public space that seeks to strengthen the connections between the town, the park and the lake.

Along with the rooftop tennis court, Fala Park accommodates: 4 bowling alleys, 2 squash courts, a full height climbing wall, a gym with spin and fitness studios, a children’s play area, a mini-golf course, a cafe, and bike and Segway hire.

The building has been wrapped with semi-translucent, vertical brise-soleil panels arranged to create an expressive modular façade whilst reducing solar gain. Inside, contemporary and vivid interiors have been used to enable easy orientation within the entwining yet distinctive buildings functions. Bright accent colours and clear graphics and signage were used throughout to appeal to users of all ages.

A striking, green climbing wall, which can be seen throughout the building dominates the main interior space and acts as a notional ‘core’ and way-finding device for users.

The climbing walls distinctive form is also playfully expressed in the treatment of the stairs, furniture and other elements of the building. Even though Fala Park was completed on a very tight budget (jointly founded by EU grants and private equity) we believe we have succeeded in delivering a contemporary, playful and contextual building.

Ground floor plan- click above for larger image

First floor plan- click above for larger image

Second floor plan- click above for larger image

Section- click above for larger image

The post Fala Park
by PL.architekci appeared first on Dezeen.

A multi-faceted gold block dominates this perfumery in Wrocław by Polish interior designers Theza.

A beauty salon and back office have been squeezed inside the block and can be glimpsed through perforations in its brushed gold exterior.

The rest of the shop is divided into monochrome halves, with the main space in white and the passageway in black.

Boxy lights jut out from the roof at angles, complementing the faceted block.

The shop, which is the flagship salon of the Frivol perfumery brand, is located in the recently opened Sky Tower in central Wrocław.

Theza are a group of young architects and designers from Poland, based in Silesia.

See all our stories about shops »
See all our stories about salons and spas »

Photographs are by Ludwik Kaizerbrecht and Bartłomiej Zabój.

Here’s some more information from the designers:

Frivole Prestige perfumery is located in the centre of Wrocław in the recently opened skyscraper Sky Tower. The project is a flagship salon of the Frivol perfumery network, which is based mainly on the outlet sales.

The decor stores Frivol network consists of white and black colour scheme, complemented by the leading colour and structure of the polygons.

The guideline for the interior is to use mono colour and to develop polygonal structures. The new leading tone got the colour structure of brushed gold.

The interior is divided into two zones: white – high, located in the depths, and black – low, located along the passage. Zones are compatible with the products range and type of sales.

A gold polygonal structure is visible throughout the whole interior. The block is two sided – golden from the outside, white from the inside. The interior of the shell hides a beauty salon (manicure, massage, waiting room) and back office.

In the cosmetic structure part there is a self-supporting three-dimensional structure attached to the floor and partly to the wall.

Due to a parametric perforation, the coating becomes semi-transparent, partly allowing sight of the interior of the structure.

Function: Perfumery/Cosmetic Treatments
Design: Theza architects
Building site: Sky Tower, Wrocław, Poland
Total floor area: 240 sq. m.
Design period: 12.2011 – 02.2012
Construction period: 02.2012 – 05.2012

The post Frivole Prestige perfumery
by Theza appeared first on Dezeen.

Voici ce supercar du constructeur polonais Arrinera basé à Varsovie. Un coupé sportif imaginé par Lee Noble, rappelant les lignes de Lamborghini. Particularité : le véhicule est équipé d’une caméra thermique pour la vision nocturne. Prévue à la commercialisation pour 2013.

Previously on Fubiz

• New Ferrari California 2012
• Faralli Mazzantis – Evantra
• Custom Bikes of Poland

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