Scheibler's textile empire on Księży Młyn is a symbol of 19th-century Lodz, which inaugurated a new era in the city's industrial history. In 1910 Karol Wilhelm Scheibler made a key investment - he erected a power plant to supply electricity to the entire complex. To this day, the magnificent edifice is a unique example in Europe of an Art Nouveau industrial building by architect Alfred Frisch. More than a century ago, the power plant was the plant's energy center; today it is once again to become the heart of the city's brand-new Fusion district, which medusa group studio is responsible for shaping.
The medusagroup is carrying out a process of so-called conservative restoration at the Art Nouveau power plant, on the grounds of the historic Karol Scheibler plant. The entire project, called Fusion in Lodz, is intended as a turning point for the restoration of a historic area of the city. Formerly a place accessible only to industrial workers is becoming open to everyone.
medusa group is responsible for the renovation of the south wall of the power plant and interior design
© medusa group
Fusion in Lodz
We clean up, leaving all the scars. In this way, we want to create an authentic map documenting the course of history. Fusion is meant to combine styles of architecture, colors, periods of history, objects with different functions, and finally people with different tastes. It's a story about more than just restoring a post-industrial neighborhood to the city, which remained fenced off by a wall for many years. - Przemo Lukasik says.
Service functions in the project are intertwined with entertainment and culture. Office buildings are being built next to apartments. The revitalized buildings will regain their historic charm, and the empty spaces will be filled with people. The site is to be given over entirely to pedestrians and cyclists, with automobile traffic routed around the perimeter.
It is a historical place subject to modern transformations, planted on the current needs and lifestyles of the city's users, adds Lukasz Zagala.
The Art Nouveau power plant, listed on the list of historical monuments and under conservation protection, will be a testament to the site's splendor. medusa group is responsible for the renovation of the south wall of this grand building and the interior design.
The wall was demolished in the 1960s, unfortunately brutally and with no respect for the building. It was replaced with trapezoidal sheet metal. Since there was no authentic substance, we decided to recreate it in a modern way, but preserved in spirit. The noble corten sheet unequivocally sets itself apart from the Art Nouveau façade of the building. At the same time, it conveys respect for the object," says Lukasz Zagala.
The architects plan to preserve even secondary transformations and historical layers
© medusa group
blemishes and a story about the history of the place
The intention of the architects is to leave a trace of the history of the place with all its blemishes.
We are not afraid of bold treatments, as long as they serve to preserve the authenticity of the place and substance. We work in the spirit of preservation, revealing the story of the history of the place to the public. We want to disturb the tissue as little as possible, and what is there - to protect and expose, to glue, but not to replenish. The tooth of time has bitten into this substance, let's show it. We don't want to smooth out or remove the attributes of communist-era architecture," explains Przemo Lukasik.
The architects plan to preserve even secondary transformations and historical layers. Even if in the past someone brutally handled the decorative tiles and bricked up the opening with brick, this will remain legible to new users.
The huge value of the interiors remains the preserved finishing elements, such as the ceramic cladding of the floors and walls, which used materials from the best European factories, the machinery - generators, controls and the powerful furnace that generated power for the entire plant.
The furnace is beautifully corroded, and has now become a kind of sculpture, which we are protecting and gently highlighting with atmospheric light," says Lukasz Zagala.
The architects emphasize that all non-standard measures are carried out in cooperation with the conservator of historical monuments, require specialized research and extreme delicacy and sensitivity.
The control room and engine room hall can be used in many ways
© medusa group
how to use the interior of a power plant?
The control room and engine roomhalls are inspiring places, providing a framework for interesting arrangements. The possibilities for using the power plant are wide. It could be a new venue for cultural or sports events. It is possible that a space will be organized for catering and organizing parties.
A green square instead of concrete
Full of green, natural and diverse space, this is the proposal of the medusa group studio for the development of the square in front of the power plant. This place is conceived as a contemporary interpretation of a new urban courtyard surrounded by historical buildings. Greenery will coexist with the surroundings in an unforced manner.
We want to make this space available to seniors, as well as children and young people. We will provide a zone of shade and allow for relaxation. We will free the square from classic flooring, creating instead a surface through which nature breaks through , seeping water, flowing into retention tanks. From our experience, it is precisely such spaces that are a clear social need today, to which we are responding with our project," adds Justyna Siwińska-Pszoniak, architect and project manager for medusa group.
An additional element of the Fusion space will be an educational function. The architects propose to combine the real and virtual worlds. Using new technologies and visual information, more users will be able to learn about the genesis and history of a particular place or object.
Restaurants, small stores, galleries will be built around the power plant
© medusa group
a place for everyone
The architects are also responsible for the design of the service area. Restaurants and small stores will be built around the power plant. The authors want barbers, owners of souvenir shops, handicrafts and pop-up outlets to find their new place here. The architects' dream is to interweave different functions within the complex. The entire project will consist of four residential buildings, as well as offices. The spaces are to interact and intermingle with each other.
It is Lodz itself that inspires us with its authenticity and brutality. The changing Piotrowska Street is proof that the degraded area, hidden in the backyards, has been dealt with. Lodz is no longer a transit city, but is increasingly becoming our destination point. The city is reviving and beginning to bustle with life. With Fusion, residents and tourists can gain a new and important space. We want them to love this place," Przemo Lukasik concludes.
You can also read about Fusion in Wojciech Stępień 's column as part of our City on Purpose series.
