Montownia - a new building on the map of Gdansk and a true journey through history, world, emotions and decor. There is a vintage atmosphere of a 1930s production hall, industrial austerity, art, shells from the Philippines and acoustic ceilings that, like a chameleon, "disappear" among the historic fabric of the building. The architectural concept was developed by RayssGroup studio.
Giving historic buildings new life is never easy. It is a time-consuming and expensive process, which is why so few investors undertake it. However, a well-designed one, after the hardships of implementation, gives publicity and satisfaction. Not only for the architect and investor. It is a positive accent for the entire neighborhood: the city and the residents. This is the effect of the DOKI multifunctional project in Gdansk. One of the buildings that make up the area - the historic Montowania - has been put into use.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk Montownia does it
© Knauf Ceiling
A hotel in an industrial version
The DOKI being developed by Euro Styl right next to the former Gdansk Shipyard and the famous gate
No. 2 will form a whole new city quarter. Offices, apartments and services will be built on their premises. The concept was already appreciated in 2021. The project won as many as 3 awards in the international European Property Awards competition.
One of the phases also brings tourist and gastronomic functions to the district. The Montownia Lofts & Experience building is an example of how to give a historical building a second life, preserving its original atmosphere, but introducing completely modern solutions and design.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk Montownia building does it
© Knauf Ceiling
The edifice when it was built in the 1930s was a place for assembling submarine engines. Today, after extensive revitalization, it still seduces with its industrial interior. The architectural concept was designed by the RayssGroup studio.
The restored interiors included 114 lofts, which serve as hotels. In addition to the apartments, part of the building has been designated as a restaurant zone, conference area, as well as art spaces.
The whole building is kept in austere grays, enriching the space only with accents of color: colorful upholstery of furniture, or greenery. Concrete walls support the industrial atmosphere. And although often in new fashionable interiors, in order not to change the decor, investors and architects abandon acoustic suspended ceilings, in the Montownia we managed to combine ceilings and "bare" walls. When you look more closely overhead you can see Heradesign acoustic wood wool tiles from the Knauf Ceiling Solutions range adjacent to the ceilings.
Their gray color scheme and non-uniform texture ensure that the modules don't spoil the factory atmosphere, while at the same time, by absorbing noise and reverberation, they help shape guest-friendly acoustics, explains Romuald Wilk of Knauf Ceiling Solutions.
How do you turn a historic building into a hotel benchmark? The way the Gdansk-based Montownia does it
© Knauf Ceiling
3D effect
The texture of Heradesign ceiling tiles, which resembles clusters of wood shreds, harmonizes with the art elements introduced into the interiors of the Montownia. This is because on the walls here were installed spatial paintings by Tomasz Krupinski, a well-known and respected painter, sculptor and designer. The abstract paintings, weighing as much as 300 kg, also have a subdued, austere style.
We knew from the beginning that art would be present in the facility. The investor himself was, in a way, the initiator of this idea. We also knew that we didn't want a typical display - art that is exhibitionistically presented in a designated place as an independent entity. We wanted art that is tailor-made and integrated into the building, to find the perfect balance between the severity of the military building and its future hotel function, and the slogan "new life" that guided us throughout the design process," explains architect Lukasz Rayss.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk Montownia building does it
© Knauf Ceiling
The interiors have another peaceful and natural element. A large wall of greenery connecting all floors of the building. As the investor himself emphasizes, this living plane improves the microclimate, but above all it illustrates what is most important in the edifice - life. Years ago, a production hall operated here. Today the building has come alive in a new form. And there is energy in its function again as well - the hotel business makes it alive, changing and "humming" with the bustle of conversations held by tourists.
The ceilings themselves also fit into this ecological requirement because they are made only of natural ingredients: wood, water and magnesite.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk-based Montownia does it
© Knauf Ceiling
Polish shipyard and exotic shells
During the communist years, the building served as a warehouse for the Gdansk Shipyard. Even today, by the way, you can still see the original crane operator's cabin here, one of the elements depicting the functioning of the shipyard and ships. Since its creation, it has invariably been associated with travel. After all, as a hotel it also attracts foreign guests. But not only. Some of the interior design elements were also brought here from the other side of the world.
The gray walls and ceilings are contrasted with lamps made of shells from the Philippines. They are like works of art. No wonder, since they too were created by artist Tomasz Krupinski. The 17 lamps as "Shoal of Creatures" almost flow through the hotel's corridors. The glittering luminous ornaments range from 2 to as much as 9 meters high. And the warm yellow rays illuminate the mother-of-pearl attracting attention.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk Montownia does it
© Knauf Ceiling
The post-shipyard vibe can also be seen in the neon lighting of other parts of the Montownia. The wall tiles and reinforced concrete structure are also exposed in the conference and event area.
The green hues of the neon lights are reflected in it. Here, too, acoustic modules were installed on the ceiling, but they were matched in color to the interior - they are pale green, with a slightly visible industrial surface that is formed by wood wool fibers.
We discovered the green in the historical elements of the hall, it was covered with many layers of paint. However, it was the green that was the base in this building, so it remained the leitmotif of the current color scheme of the interiors," says Lukasz Rayss, and as he adds by introducing new elements to these base colors chosen together with interior architects and conservation services, new elements were deliberately differentiated to distinguish the old parts from the modern ones.
How to make a hotel benchmark out of a historic building? The way the Gdansk-based Montownia does it
© Knauf Ceiling
TheRayss GroupCEO admits that the large open interior space and acoustics were a huge challenge from the start. - In the raw building, reverberation reached several seconds in places. of course, with today's technology, available materials and sound-absorbing solutions, you can control any space. Here, however, we were dealing with a historic building and our strong resolve to keep interference with the interiors to a minimum. At the same time, we did not want the acoustic installations to be visible in any way," says the architect. In the end, Heradesign panels were chosen for the acoustic calculations and to create an ear-friendly interior, and a high wall full of greenery or fillings behind the paintings and a specific way of laying hollow bricks also helps. The result? Probably more than one hotel in Poland will be inspired by the new realization from Gdansk.
