The investment boom is bringing a lot of projects, but they don't always fit in well with the surroundings, which is especially painful for resorts. A project planned for Szczyrk - the XYZ Apartments - is likely to become a marker of new development quality in resorts. Three blocks, each with a separate philosophy on how to function is a project by WXCA, one of the most awarded studios in recent times.
XYZ - is that really the term for the investment? Or is the developer temporarily describing the project that way?
This is the full name of the apartment-hotel complex, assures Marcin Grzybowski, president of Zloty Widok, which will build the apartments in Szczyrk.
To understand it, we need to go back to the idea of what the investment is supposed to be in the first place and combine it with local conditions. In Szczyrk, the local development plan limits the height and size of buildings. Mainly intimate buildings can be built. Therefore, on a plot of land on the main street, right next to the lower station of the railroad to Hala Skrzyczenska, 3 buildings will be built, but combined into one complex.
Activity, family, relaxation
X - is a building located from the street, so the location itself dictates the functions. It is to be active, eXtreme. This is where the bustling life of tourists will take place. Apartments are planned on the upper floors, and an apres ski restaurant on the first floor. The restaurant is to be a combination of a space where you can eat, a cafe and... coworking in one.
The young, active generation of so-called digital nomads is combining private life with work. We want to respond to these needs and create a place where they can relax after skiing or biking, and at the same time work if necessary," explains Marcin Grzybowski.
From the beginning, the developer focused on the quality of both the architecture and the careful consideration of the functions in the development. To select the best concept, it held a competition. The winner was one of the most interesting studios of the young generation in Poland - the Warsaw office of WXCA. Recent years have been a real string of successes for WXCA architects, including: winning the competition for the Museum of the Polish Army in the Citadel, the Vistula River Boulevards in Warsaw, the Polish Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, and the Wielkopolska Uprising Museum in Poznań. In October of this year, the studio received 3 awards at the LEONARDO 2019 International Biennial of Young Architects in Minsk, including 2nd place in the Public, Industrial and Buildings category for the project planned in Szczyrk.
Such excellent planning of the complex was possible, thanks to the commitment of the investor, admits Marta Sękulska-Wronska, architect and partner at WXCA. - From the beginning, we thought together how to create an innovative hotel, fitting perfectly into a small plot of land, while respecting the picturesque surroundings, she adds.
From the active part located facing the street, guests will move to increasingly quieter zones. The closer to the slope and the mountain, the quieter. The middle building is a section dedicated to those who want to relax with their families.
The Y like "You" is meant to be a less bustling zone. This is where we relax. In this part of the complex we have planned apartments, but also a terrace with a roof garden and a playroom for children," says Marta Sekulska-Wronska.
And the third building Z, which is the most set back from the street, or Zen, is designed to help you fully calm down and relax. There will be a swimming pool with a panoramic glass wall and a view of the ski slope, an area with a sauna, sun loungers. Outside, meanwhile, there will be space for family or company bonfires and picnics.
All three buildings will be connected. They will create the impression of adjacent mountain slopes through the characteristic curves of the roofs and the natural color of the facades. A total of 30 apartments will be built here, which will be sold to individual investors. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2020. Tourists will rest in the XYZ Apartments starting in the summer season of 2022.
New face of architecture in resorts
XYZ Apartments is a new opening in the aesthetics of resort and spa developments. Such well-thought-out projects have been practically non-existent in Poland in recent years, admits Marlena Kosiura, an analyst at the InwestycjewKurortach.pl portal.
According to the portal's data, there are currently about 100 investments under construction at the seaside and in the mountains. These are both apartment buildings and classic hotels. Many of them, as Marlena Kosiura admits, are being built quickly, on the wave of the boom, with few developers paying attention to the quality of the architecture or the body of the building.
Szczyrk needs good projects. For many recent years, not much has been built in the town. New accommodation facilities have been built, several apartment buildings have been handed over by the Zloty Widok company, among others, but this is still not enough. Since the Slovaks from Tatry Moutain Resort began investing in year-round infrastructure here on the slopes of Skrzyczne and Solisko, upgrading ski trails and building bicycle trails, the resort has become fashionable again. Unfortunately, the development of accommodation and service facilities and restaurants is only just beginning. The XYZ Apartments and the services the complex will provide will undoubtedly set a fairly high bar. Let's hope other developers on the coast and in the mountains also follow this path.
The Zloty Widok Apartments company
has been developing projects in Szczyrk since 2013. To date, it has completed 28 apartments, in buildings with recreational facilities. The developer's ownership group also includes Top Apart, a company engaged in comprehensive building management, apartment rental and guest services.
