Business Center in Opole by PORT
The most valuable ideas are created not at the office desk, but far from it. They need inspiration, air and coincidence. The purpose of project was to make friendly space. Good quality of working space is one of the factors which cause that the life is well spend. If we are happy at work, then it’s effects would be better and more useful for everyone. We don’t want to use the term “free time” as that time after work as we do not agree that time spent at work is the one without freedom. We all should work with satisfaction and pleasure from what we are doing.
---
Process
Differnece of levels up to 4 m, heavy trafiic road nearby, parking lot of the biggest shopping mall in the city, cementary on the next parcel and very strict function demands are all factors which have influenced the project.
Placement on the terrain and form of the building correspond with. Building of Bussines Center is located perpendiculary to the Wrocławska Street to make an acoustic barrier. It opens visually to the inner, uplifted garden crowned with trees from the West and to the city center from the East. In that way sun from the south, unfavorable for the office function, was limitted and by the shape of windows, cut from the North more of the natural, scattered light is obtained. It is also more energy efficent.
Whiteness of the facade highlights light and shadows in the window niches. With the sun moving one can observe them to dissapear or to sharpen.
Ability to expand the building was one of inwestor’s demands, what could be done by add. In that case both, simmilar parts will create an inner courtyard.
Building
Storey 1 – entrance hall. Storey 2 – conference center. Storeys 3 i 4 – business center, office space.
Location of the hall allows to use the topography for an easy and comfortable entrance. Open space above the hall, reaching 3 storeys of height connects different functions on each level. Hang above the ground level combination of void and solid creates an atmosphere of the entrance, introduce light and air, build the rank of the place.
Conference level is created by the spacious foyer with 3 rooms of different size. One for over 50 people and two smaller ones. Foyer opens and gives the opportunity to enter the garden with recreation.
Office levels apart from regular rooms, have extra functions like meeting rooms, consulting spaces and recreation areas on the West side. They can be used for meetings, resting and short unformal reunions. Recreation functions, meeting rooms are opening to the garden nad trees. Offices are located withe the view to the city. Big windows are there to let the light, air in and enlarge optically the space.
Interior
Building was functionally divided into two sides – formal with working places and less formal, more for creative actions. To relax and regain the strenght. Those functions are located form the side of garden, all for optimalize working time and raise effectiveness.
Interior combines precision and accuracy white walls with the harshness of concrete. It allows to know and understand the structure of the building. It creates also two zones – working and technical one. In recreation parts, bright colors like yellow and orange bring live and give energy to the interior. Wievs to the garden complete the compostition. Building is not overload with colours by purpose. It is to avoid the cacophony of colours and ornaments. To many factors are not comfortable for work. It was our aim to create the building which wouldn’t be another visual noise for it’s users, which is very common in urban areas.
Terrain
Garden of two different characters, lifted over first level is the complement of the foyer of the conference part. This elevation creates the isolation from the busy street.
Garden is shaped in a similar way as interior. One can find there spaces which can inspire, formal ones, wild and for recreation. There are trees, fruit bushes and high grasses all to bring more natural envoirenment into the city center and to create user-friendly space. In this case it’s also a buffer between the building and the road.