Renovation of the existing building for the new headquarters of the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor
IDEA:
The building layout adheres to the traditional urban block structure of historic Warsaw. By maintaining the traditional grid of streets and squares, the urban block becomes a substitute and equivalent of the historically shaped city block, retaining its city-building significance in shaping today's urban interiors. The restoration of varied forms of urban block development allows for a departure from the 20th-century planning doctrine, rooted in modernist trends, which aimed at the deconcentration of urban structures and ultimately led to the loss of the essence of urban space. The expansion on the site of the existing garage aims to complete the block and highlight its corner. Respecting the context creates a human-friendly space, especially in the dynamically developing Wola district.
The regular grid of the new façade, both in the existing and the designed building, introduces order through proportions. Simplified, geometric detailing, repetition, and vertical articulation are clearly visible in both the façades and the structure itself. By maximally opening the ground floor space and removing secondary structures and partitions, an open interior reminiscent of the symbolic modular, frame construction was achieved, further enriched by a publicly accessible green atrium in the spirit of the "pocket park" idea.
Modern architectural detailing in the form of rotating panels allows for numerous scenarios in the interaction zone between the building and the street, creating or limiting planned interactions between them. The creation of an arcade form on Sienna Street constitutes a valuable fragment of the frontage, providing direct access to the building. This also creates a piece of public space with educational value, where passersby can learn about the Institute's activities and its current cultural offerings. Such a solution is crucial in the tightly formed urban interior.
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