Harmoniously fitting a modern building into the historic fabric of an old town is not an easy task. The PURO Hotel in Warsaw, designed by the renowned JEMS Architekci studio, proves that both good design and well-matched materials are necessary for success. The Guardian Glass used here allowed the hotel's facade to enter into a dialogue with the surrounding townhouses, reflecting their decorative facades in a crystalline sheet.
PURO hotels are associated with remarkable architecture and design, as well as excellent location. They are distinguished from standard hotel chains by a less formal atmosphere, originality of massing and interior finishes, and clear reference to the context of the place. All PURO hotels are part of a coherent brand concept, while at the same time each of them has its own individual touch directly related to a specific city. Last year, the first PURO hotel in the capital joined the facilities from Wroclaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan and Lodz. The Warsaw project was entrusted to one of Poland's most respected studios, JEMS Architekci. It faced the task of blending a modern, comfortable building into historic buildings. The key turned out to be a minimalist façade with large, rhythmically placed glazing.
A modern reflection of historic architecture
A characteristic feature of PURO hotels is their location in the center of large cities. In Warsaw, too, a plot of land was chosen on Widok Street, at the junction of the commercial so-called Eastern Side and the area most attractive to tourists in the Chmielna Street area. The building had to find its way in a space built up with historic tenements. Its outline was determined by city regulations. Within this framework, the architects created a modern, seven-story block with a terrace on the top floor, which offers a magnificent view of the center of the capital and the Palace of Culture.
The white mass of the building forms a background, blending into the urban landscape, says architect Ewa Kozieł-Jurowska of JEMS Architekci, "The front elevation, as a northern elevation, visible mainly against the light, is not designed to be chiaroscuro. Unable to compete with the rich tectonics of the neighboring historic townhouses, it is smooth and drawn sparingly, she adds.
Very important for the character of this facade are the glazings, both because of the rhythm they give it and the reflective effect, which the designers were particularly keen on.
The shimmering surface of the glazing reflects the historic buildings of the neighboring tenements with sculpted facades, the architect explains.
The designers' vision was brought to life through the use of Guardian SunGuard® SN 62/34 glass. The developer decided on a custom combination of solar control glass coatings with UltraClear™ base glass, which guaranteed a perfect visual effect. This is because the UltraClear™ low-iron glass is devoid of a greenish tint, providing a neutral glazing appearance and true color reproduction.
The use of Guardian UltraClear™ low-iron glass added lightness and translucency to the realization.
The façade of PURO hotel in Warsaw
© Guardian Glass, LLC
A hotel open to all
Inherent in the idea of PURO hotels are openness and a relaxed atmosphere. This is realized primarily through originally arranged, spacious common areas, such as the lobby, restaurant and bar, where one can comfortably spend time. The concept of the front facade also plays an important role here.
The thoroughly glazed first floor makes the building at the level of the passerby light and transparent, more accessible and open," emphasizes architect Ewa Kozieł-Jurowska.
This is because it is important that the PURO Hotel invites not only its guests who visit the capital, but also passers-by - Warsaw residents - to use these spaces. Perfectly translucent Guardian Glass provides a glimpse of the attractive interiors, encouraging people to step inside.
Well-lit, comfortable rooms
In keeping with the principle that life in PURO hotels is to move largely to spacious common areas, hotel rooms are not overly large.
The size of the windows in the rooms, their proportions, the height of the window sill, make the room visually perceived as larger, more spacious, says the designer. - Low-iron glass, which does not have a greenish tint, does not change the perception of colors.
Good natural light illumination is one of the key aspects that determine the positive perception of rooms. However, it should not be forgotten that large glazings can lead to excessive overheating of rooms. Guardian Glass ' Guardian SunGuard® SuperNeutral™ line of glazing offers high light transmission (Lt), with a low total solar energy transmittance (g). Continuously improved, the products boast ever-improving performance, providing bright interiors, high glazing transparency, and good solar protection at the same time.
In the current range of Guardian Glass, the equivalent of the glass used in the project(Guardian SunGuard® SN 62/34) is SunGuard® SN 63, with increased selectivity, greater neutrality and a delicate gray shade that is perfectly in line with global architectural trends.
For more information, visit the company's Guardian Częstochowa Sp. z o.o. page on the A&B portal.
