Another interesting testimony to the 1990s in architecturehas disappeared: the first freestanding McDonald's pavilion in Poznan. The original building stood in 1994 on the outskirts of the Poznań Fair next to the train station. It had a carefully considered form verging on the then fashionable deconstructivism.
It was the first freestanding pavilion of an American fast-food chain in Poznań (the second in general - after the premises on the first floor of the department store on December 27 Street). Individually designed, it later stood out from the later facilities of the gastronomic giant erected according to a standardized scheme.
McDonald's pavilion in Poznań, 1994 design. - mockup close to the realized version (the building was built without the corner openwork mast)
source: archive of Michal Ankiersztajn
The neat pavilion with a carefully sculpted form was opened in December 1994 on Glogowska Street between two historic halls (pavilions 1 and 2) of the Poznan International Fair (MTP Group). The authors of the project were Michał Ankiersztajn and Jarosław Wroński (cooperation: Agnieszka Fabiś, Beata Gaworzewska, Dariusz Stankiewicz). The McDonald's restaurant operated there for twenty years until 2014. Then the Fair converted it into the so-called South Entrance. After a few years, however, it was removed, and a private photography gallery operated in the pavilion. It moved out a few days ago. On Thursday, February 20, the Fair razed the building to the ground.
Demolition of the pavilion after the McDonald's bar in Poznan, 20.02.2025 - view from the south from Glogowska Street
photo: Jakub Glaz
Already during the design process we knew that it would be a temporary structure, just like many other pavilions on the Fairgrounds. Another small and simple modernist building stood there before it. Ours might not have appeared at all, as strong objections were raised by the historic preservationist. And so it survived for a long time," says co-designer Michal Ankiersztajn (today ASW Architekci studio, then: Pentagram).
McDonald's pavilion on Glogowska Street in Poznań, 1994 design - front/south-east elevation, designed by Michał Ankiersztajn and Jarosław Wroński;
source: archive of Michal Ankiersztajn
In fact, the Fair announced the removal of the building quite some time ago. In its place was to be an entrance to underground garage halls. However, it was built two years ago in a different location, closer to the main entrance to the MTP grounds. This is because the originally planned location coincided with the area left by the Jewish cemetery, which was liquidated during the occupation. Above the new parking lot, a public square of the Universal National Exhibition (PeWuKi) was created .
The square of the General National Exhibition. 04.2024 - on the right you can see a fragment of pavilion No. 2 intended as a catering and event hall, on the left the former Fair Palace and the MTP spire
photo: Jakub Głaz
for a while, but properly
Plans changed, but the pavilion was demolished anyway, although it was worth considering its preservation. Because, despite the knowledge of the temporary nature of the project, the architects applied themselves to the task and created a graceful and durable building-sculpture. Its dynamic bevels, asymmetry and differentiation were a conscious, albeit very modest, reference to the then-popular deconstructivism. As a result, the pavilion had the original flair desired by investors in the 1990s, while at the same time managing to distinguish itself stylistically from the then-dominant Polish postmodernism. Looking at the axonometry of the block, one can see that after subtracting the deconstructing curves and bevels, one would get a form similar to many exhibition pavilions of the modernism era. Ankiersztajn:
There were four versions of the design. The slants and dynamics won out because they were more likely to attract attention on a busy street. The disjointed form of the building was also a derivative of the rather difficult and small plot of land. A railroad track was still running next to it at the time, which trains used to enter the main fairgrounds from the station area. The design and implementation took us a year, today almost all that time would be needed to obtain the provision of utilities and building conditions.
McDonald's pavilion on Glogowska Street in Poznań, 1994 design - axonometry close to the accepted version, designed by Michał Ankiersztajn, Jarosław Wroński
source: archive of Michal Ankiersztajn
The architect also adds that colors played a big role, highlighting the elements of the composition. White dominated, broken by the then-current colors of the gastronomic chain: red and yellow.
However, the building later underwent modifications. The diagonal mast integrated into the building, to which the streetcar traction was attached, disappeared, the square panels facing the pedestal were replaced by finer elements. Finally, after the bar was moved out and converted to a "southern entrance," the pavilion lost its vibrant colors replaced by white and gray. This weakened its expression, as did the removal of the coffers and fast-food signs, which were an integral part of the composition. The lettering (though already different) returned and complemented the block when a photography gallery was located there. Recently, however, the pavilion has been growing in decorative details. Ankiersztajn comments:
Our original design and implementation differed significantly from what could be seen in the last dozen years or so, when modifications were made, but I liked to see it in the Brodziak Gallery version.
The pavilion after the McDonald's bar in Poznan as the southern entrance to the MTP grounds
Photo: Michal Ankiersztajn
The pavilion after the McDonald's bar in Poznan in the role of a photo gallery, Glogowska Street, 04.2024 - on the left - one of the two entrances to the "green river"
photo: Jakub Głaz
A better entrance, but when?
What will now be built in the place after the demolished pavilion? Karolina Nawrot, director of corporate communications for the MTP Group, reports:
The site and its development will be the subject of design work related to the development of the surroundings of Pavilion No. 2 and preparation for the continuation of the Green River project.
"Green River" are pedestrian and bicycle trails planted with greenery made available by the Fair last April (we wrote about them in: Green River. Poznan International Fair finally open to the city!). Together with the PeWuKi Square, they form a friendly space that has finally been made permanently available to residents. After decades of isolation from its surroundings, roughly half of the fairgrounds are now permanently incorporated into the fabric of the city. This harmonizes with the current and planned conference and event character of this part of MTP. Planned because Hall 2, with which the demolished pavilion was connected, is to be transformed into a vibrant "food hall" and venue for smaller events.
We wrote about the intentions to adapt the hall in detail three years ago, but construction work has still not begun. Karolina Nawrot conveyed that , at this stage, it is not yet possible to provide information on when the investment will begin. However, it has been known for a month that one of the former market buildings (also adjacent to PeWuKa Square) will be transformed into a music school(we wrote about this in January). There is no news, however, about the construction of the Poznan Philharmonic, which, according to plans announced for several years, is to be built in the conference and event area of the MTP grounds.
Demolition of the former McDonald's bar pavilion in Poznań, 20.02.2025 - opposite: pavilion No. 2 (designed by Roger Slawski, 1929; reconstruction in modified form: 1948), left in the background: the MTP spire, right behind the rubble - Glogowska St.
photo: Jakub Głaz
testimony to an era
We can only hope that the now-announced development of the area after the demolished pavilion will come sooner, and that both the transformed entrance and the other one (opposite the Western Railway Station) will be more inviting to enter the square and the "green river." For now, the Fair is behaving as if it has not yet settled on making its area permanently accessible. The entrance opposite the station is open so sparsely (only one wing of the multi-span gate) that it does not encourage visitors. It also lacks information about the "green river", which is still a novelty, and the places to which it leads.
The entrance to the MTP grounds and the so-called Green River - with only one bay of the gate open, it does not encourage visitors to enter the officially open area, there is no information about the "green river" and where the gate leads to
photo: Jakub Głaz
Demolition of the pavilion after the McDonald's bar in Poznań, 20.02.2025 - ul. Głogowska, open space between pavilions 1 and 2 after demolition, in the foreground streetcar tracks in the place of the former railroad siding (it led straight ahead, across the street, to the Fair), the place is to be transformed into a friendly entrance to the MTP area
photo: Jakub Głaz
This situation raises the question of whether the quality of the new space after the pavilion will be high enough to compensate for the loss of the building. After all, it was also a worthwhile testimony to the transformative period in which local architects managed to design an original and small form for a global corporation. Ankiersztajn recalls that he and his colleagues then learned a lot about designing for an experienced capitalist investor. They learned important rules and modern solutions, and at the same time were able to design something "of their own," outside the box. So does the architect feel sorry for the demolished work of his design?
A little yes. We knew from the beginning that it would not stand forever. However, I regret that we were not notified of the date of demolition, but it is probably not the practice. I could personally take some photos, just as I have watched the transformation of this building over the past three decades. Not everyone has that opportunity.
