The ruins of the former granaries will be integrated into the new development. The new construction will make the granaries reminiscent of those that existed centuries ago, while at the same time they will be safe and gain new functions. We will restore them to their former splendor, " Ewa Karendys talks to Maciej Mąka, co-owner of the Mąka Sojka Architekci studio, and Łukasz Stanaszek, the architect in charge of the second stage of the Granaria project, about the redevelopment of Gdansk's Granary Island.
left: Maciej Mąka; right: Łukasz Stanaszek
© Mąka Sojka Architekci
Ewa Karendys: The residents of Gdansk have high expectations for buildings on Granary Island, which for more than 70 years could not wait to be developed. In September, the first stage of Granaria received an award known as the "Oscar of real estate." Are you working under a lot of pressure?
Maciej Mąka: Our studio usually struggles with challenging sites. We are used to this pressure now. As a result, we are less stressed, but of course that doesn't mean we don't feel a sense of responsibility for this important place for Danzig residents.
Ewa: Modern developments are being built in historic surroundings. This is also a big challenge.
Lukasz Stanaszek: We want to respect the remains of the granaries, found in this area. We will expose the old historical fabric of Granary Island as much as possible. Among other things, there are the ruins of two preserved granaries, Steffen and Turek, which are listed in the register of historical monuments. There are also relics of the granaries Soldier, Stone Bear (recently included in the register) and Unity and Peace.
Maciej: The local plan sets the framework for new development, but it also left room to verify the project's assumptions based on archaeological research. During these studies, the foundations of former granaries from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries were discovered, which became the warp of the entire urban layout. Due to complex conditions, the investment requires careful design and execution, and the low quality of the state of preservation of the historic substance poses a challenge. Construction is underway, but the team in charge of implementation is prepared for the need to make ongoing adjustments and seek appropriate solutions.
I would compare working with a historical monument to a journey into the unknown. We know where the beginning is, but we don't know where the road will lead us. That's why we're conducting analyses with historic preservation experts, archaeologists and constructors, and we're working with the provincial Historic Preservation Office.
Bird's eye view visualization of the Granaria project on Granary Island in Gdansk.
© Mąka Sojka Architekci
Ewa: How will the granary ruins be integrated into the new development?
Lukasz: Some of the relics, such as the Jedność and Pokój granaries, were in a terrible technical condition. They have been inventoried and protected, and will be restored during the construction phase. The Turek and Soldier granaries were reinforced with a special structure for the duration of construction. The Steffen granary is preserved in the best condition, it has two stories and a wooden structure inside, which we will also preserve and respect. The walls of this granary have already been stiffened.
Maciej: The ruins will be integrated into the new development. We want to recreate the historic dimensions of the granaries, using the new development as supporting elements for the historic fabric. Today the ruins have only fragments of walls, while before the war their volume was much larger. The new construction will make the granaries reminiscent of those that existed centuries ago, while making them safe and giving them new functions. In short: we will restore them to their former glory.
Marina on Granary Island
© Mąka Sojka Architects
Ewa: The existing development of Granary Island, especially the facades of the neighboring Deo Plaza, has stirred up a lot of discussion. Do you like these projects?
Maciej: We know from experience that investments in such a challenging location require many agreements. Over the years, as more buildings appeared in the area, and as discussions heated up with them, the attitudes and pressure towards how the buildings would look grew. Let's also remember that in the end the new development is not only the product of the architect and the investor, but also the agreements of the conservationist of the time, who gave his opinion on the project in terms of materials or architectural details, among other things. And this has a huge impact on the appearance of the development.
Ewa: Could these designs have been done better?
Maciej: This question should be addressed to the author.
At the end of the day there often comes a reflection that something could have been done better. As architects, we often feel unsatisfied as a result of working under the pressure of tight deadlines. This is especially pronounced in PPP projects, where deadlines are very important for the proper execution of the contract between the public and private entity.
Ewa: It is worthwhile for experts, architects, to speak up in the discussion about architecture.
Maciej: A lot depends on how the designer finds his way through the maze of agreements, it's a complex process. And it happens that despite the most sincere intentions of the designer, the development is not quite well received.
Ewa: What will the facades of the buildings you designed yourselves look like?
Maciej: We are continuing the vision of the RKW studio, which in 2015 prepared a concept for the development of the northern tip of Granary Island for the investor. The color code developed involves a gradation of color: from bright, modern buildings at the end of the promontory, to darker and darker towards the existing buildings on Stągiewna Street.
Luke: We are using four groups of materials. First, there will be historic brick, which has undergone restoration. There will also be contemporary hand-formed brick, ceramic tiles cut from brick, and prefabricated mineral tiles on the facade.
Stagiewna Street
© Mąka Sojka Architects
Ewa: An interesting element is a year-round walkway, stretching through several quarters of the new development. It is meant to be an alternative to strolling along Długa Street.
Maciej: We are not the south of Italy or Spain, where open-air passages have their justification. For a large part of the year it rains, we are tarred by the wind. The enclosed arcade was proposed by the RKW studio, and we adapted it to current market realities. The public space, which is about eight thousand square meters in size, will run through three quarters, tying them together. The place will be bustling with life.
Luke: Above the walkway will be apartments, condos and offices. Enclosing commerce and services in the form of a year-round covered walkway will reduce the nuisance of such functions for other users. Not only that, above the passage we have designed courtyards with arranged greenery, trees will be able to grow there.
year-round passage
© Mąka Sojka Architects
Ewa: In city centers, car traffic should be limited. A great example is the promenade opened in 2016 on neighboring Stągiewna Street. Will Granary Island be pedestrian and bicycle friendly?
Lukasz: As much as possible, we have designed a considerable number of bicycle racks. On the other hand, the width of the streets will be adapted to the historical fabric. Traffic on streets parallel to Stągiewna (Basztowa and Ciesielska) will be calmed down, they will become pedestrian and bicycle routes. Pedestrians and cyclists should be satisfied.
Ewa: Downtown Gdansk is consistently getting denser. Are the effects successful?
Maciej: The building of the Gdansk Shakespeare Theater by Renato Rizzi is very successful. The project arouses extreme emotions, especially its color scheme. But if we look through squinted eyes, push aside the color, we will see that the silhouette of the building is thoroughly Danzig. And, even though the theater has an ascetic form, in its details, the way the brick is handled, we will find references to the silhouette of the city of Gdansk.
I think an interesting example is the revitalization of the former railroad clinic at the railroad station. The building houses a hotel with a restaurant and a brewery. The interiors are cohesive, done with class. This is a great example of the fact that you can succeed if the restorer puts a partnership with the investor, understands market mechanisms. After all, it is not an art in the case of a monument to dig in with ideas that are unworkable, but to work out a compromise.
Ewa: And what is the biggest difficulty in designing on Granary Island?
Maciej: Granary Island has a rich history. It was a warehouse of a city with a rich Hanseatic tradition, heavily affected by war damage. It has been in the process of revitalization for the past 10 years, and Granaria's second phase will complete it. The key is to find an architectural expression that conveys the genius loci of the place.
The difficulty is that the condition of the ruins is not the best. It will take a great deal of effort by experts and engineers to restore them to their former splendor, but the team the developer has appointed is well prepared for the process.
In addition, the design for such a challenging location should tell the story of the needs of all stakeholders, and the utility program should be attractive to both Danzigers and other users. Aesthetics and architecture should be of a high order. Beauty, on the other hand, is not an end in itself; the challenge is how the project will fit into its surroundings and how it will perform over the years. So we focus on restrained architectural form, noble materials with high durability, carefully designed details. We will also take care of appropriate exposure of the historic substance.
