The development of Granary Island in Gdansk has been awarded in the category for best urban project in the MIPIM Awards 2020 competition. The statuette was received in Paris by representatives of the GRANARIA consortium, which is implementing the project together with the city.
Granary Island on Gdansk's Motlawa River is one of the city's more distinctive sites. Its history dates back to the 14th century, when the first granaries began to be built there. The Hanseatic city was growing rapidly and needed space to store the grain handled in the port. By the 16th century, the island was home to more than 300 granaries. Although very little of the historic fabric has survived to this day, it is undoubtedly a legacy of Gdansk testifying to its rich and multicultural past.
Island from scratch
The city of Gdansk has been working for many years to restore the site to its former glory, as well as to realize its potential. The island is located in the city center, just opposite the crane on the Motlawa River, a popular tourist attraction in Gdansk. More investments are gradually being made to give this space back to residents and tourists. Since 2017, the development of the northern tip of the island has been carried out in public-private partnership. The city's partner is Granaria Development Gdansk, leader of the IMMOBEL& MULTIBUD consortium.
View of the northern part of the island during construction, 2018.
© Dominik Paszlinski
Dialogue with heritage
Three architectural firms are responsible for the projects on the northern tip: German RKW Architektur, Kwadrat Studio Architektoniczne from Gdynia and Mąka Sojka Architekci. All buildings under construction on the island are maintained in a consistent style. They refer to the architecture of modern granaries and typical Hanseatic urban buildings. The simple, geometric forms of the buildings contrast with the historic character of the old city. At the same time, the use of brick and stone emphasizes the historical character of the place. As a result, the development of Granary Island successfully combines heritage with modernity.
© Mąka Sojka Architects
Prestigious award
The MIPIM Award is presented during the MIPIM (International Professional Property Fair) held in Cannes. It is the largest event of its kind in Europe, which attracts industry representatives from all over the world every year. The MIPIM award is given in 12 categories including the best realization of a cultural facility, the best hotel or resort complex or the best realization in the field of residential architecture. In the 2020 edition, the Monopolis project by Rafal Grzelewski and Group 5 Architects in Lodz was also recognized.
We have also written about Granary Island in our City on Purpose series.
