The Poznań Trade Fair is increasingly becoming part of the city's fabric. It is already known how the historic Hall 2 will look after adaptation for catering and entertainment purposes. The building, located between the Fair and the areas around the train station, has a chance to be a lively meeting point between downtown and the hitherto isolated MTP grounds. It is one of several ongoing and planned investments that will significantly change the character of the Fair.
Construction work has been underway since last year, thanks to which the MTP grounds will be functionally integrated into the space of Poznan's downtown and partially made available to residents on a daily basis. Close to the station and Glogowska Street, a multi-level parking lot is being built, over which there will be a city square (completion is planned for autumn of this year) serving as a newly created Cultural Zone. Next to it is a fair conference center, an extensive green square and historic pre-war fair buildings. In the long term, the site is also planned to house a "Music Center" with the headquarters of the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. A public walkway connecting the Western Railway Station and Glogowska Street with Wilson Park (so far this space has been closed) will also lead through the Culture Zone.
MTP Hall No. 2, visualization after adaptation, proj: DEMIURG (based on Śniadek+Śniadek concept)
- View from the side of the MTP and the emerging Culture Zone
- View from Glogowska Street
© DEMIURG
gastronomy and entertainment
It is by this passage that the historic Hall No. 2, built in 1929 for the General National Exhibition, designed by Roger Slawski (as a heavy industry hall), is located. Damaged during the war, it was rebuilt in a modified form in 1948 to a design by Stanislaw Kirkin and Lucjan Ballenstaedt.
MTP Hall No. 2, view from Glogowska Street, current state (spring 2021).
photo: Jakub Głaz
On one side, the hall is adjacent to busy Glogowska Street, almost opposite the Western Railway Station. From the Fair side, it will become the frontage of the new square. As previously announced, there will be a catering area in the building, and the hall will be open to the city from the street. An adaptation and modernization project by the Poznań-based DEMIURG studio, based on the concept of the Śniadek+Sniadek studio, which designed the parking lot and the square, is already ready.
MTP Hall No. 2, visuals after adaptation, proj: DEMIURG (based on Śniadek+Sniadek concept). Views of the interior
© DEMIURG
open and accessible
What will be inside the hall and what modifications will it undergo? It will be a space with space for entertainment, cultural and exhibition events in addition to restaurants and bars . The hall will be a covered catering facility for the Cultural Zone. On the side of the square, a lowering among the greenery will provide space for restaurant gardens. Inside, some of the partitions that separated the main part of the building from stores and service outlets accessible from Glogowska Street will be removed. Now the hall will be available partly "through", encouraging passersby to enter the MTP grounds. On the first floor, the open space will be used for catering and entertainment, while the first floor will be used for fitness services, coworking and exhibition purposes. The spacious interior will maintain its character. The most prominent new accent will be the glass elevator horn leading to the mezzanine floor A design that is economical in expression treats the historic structure with respect and brings out its qualities.
When will the redevelopment begin? An exact date is hard to come by. Designers from DEMIURGA announce that the building permit application is expected to be ready within three months. So there is a shadow of a chance that next summer will be the first season in which the Cultural Zone and the modernized hall will be in operation, combined.
