Katarzyna Lejk, a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at Sopot University in response to rapid climate change and rising water levels, has created a design for a docking skyscraper in Gdansk harbor.
The floating skyscraper is an example of a new approach to design, giving residents the opportunity to adapt and transform space according to their needs, with environmental concerns in mind. The proposed building takes into account the historical context and the problem of rising water levels, which in the future may cause flooding of some areas of Gdansk. In designing, the author focused on three main slogans - mobility, sustainability and society.
skyscraper docks in gdansk harbor
© Katarzyna Lejk
mobile containers
Katarzyna Lejk set the design on a ship, and used existing containers to build the skyscraper, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. The concept is based on simple, unsophisticated solutions. The building consists of two main elements - the hull of a container ship and a frame structure, supplemented by residential, utility and office units. The containers proposed in the project form modules whose basic internal dimensions are 5.90×2.35×2.70 meters. The containers are placed in docking spaces by means of guides welded to the inner part of the structure. To stabilize them, characteristic spaces called abutment corners were used, which are responsible for lifting and placing the container on the ship. The solid structure and steel frame made it possible to design window openings in the side walls.
The containers form modules that can be joined together
© Katarzyna Lejk
eco solutions
The author also took care of ecological solutions. The rainwater recovery system consists of plastic tanks and a pump. The tank contains sensors and special filters, thanks to which the water is reused for flushing the toilet and watering the greenery. By raising the floor area, all installations including the gray water tank have been designed under the toilet surface.
The design of the skyscraper is based on ecological solutions
© Katarzyna Lejk
Windows in the transverse facade are equipped with solar "curtains" to provide energy. The green roofs of the containers contribute to lowering the temperature, and numerous plants filter and purify the air. The project also involves the popularization of urban farming.
The project, which Dr. Bartosz Felski helped implement, took part in an international competition entitled "skyhive 2019. "SKYHIVE 2019". According to the architect:
I think that conscious architecture needs to consider many aspects, and bold solutions are capable of changing the way we think, and therefore the way we live. The notion of a city that is dynamic, evolves with the user, responds to the user's needs, and at the same time is sustainable, which does not exploit the land, is an exciting idea, and, most importantly, completely feasible through the use of simple means.
Katarzyna Lejk also designed a common urban space in the form of a large green forecourt, providing an opposition to the aggressive behavior of developers on neighboring lots.
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illustrations courtesy of Katarzyna Lejk
