August 12 this year. The Krakow City Development Agency, in cooperation with the SARP Krakow Branch, has announced an international, two-stage, implementation architectural and urban planning competition, aimed at obtaining the best solution for the Krakow Music Center building on Piastowska Street in Krakow. This is the second competition for the design of the KCM - the first one was held in 2018, but the realization of the winning project did not take place, now Krakow is back with a new location and competition assumptions.
Krakow has returned to an idea from years ago and wants to build a modern concert hall that meets modern standards on the site of Cichy Kącik. The idea of building the Krakow Music Center is to create a complex that will use the world's best urban planning, architectural, acoustic and functional solutions.
© City of Krakow
The concert hall is to be the real and symbolic heart of musical Krakow, a place of artistic and program activities of the most important music ensembles in Krakow, but also a center for music and artistic education and international cooperation. The city is keen to ensure that the facility remains in harmony with the surrounding greenery - the Blonia Park, Kosciuszko Mound, Jordan Park, the axes overlooking the Old Town and Wawel Castle.
Krakow Music Center for the second time
This is the second competition for the design of the Music Center; the first, one-stage competition was held in 2018, but the winning design by the consortium of SBS Engineering Group and 3TI Progetti Italia, which was to be built in Grzegórzki, did not materialize. Krakow withdrew from the realization of the facility, which was to be built together with the Marshal's Office. The city authorities decided that they could not participate in the financing of this investment due to irregularities related to the competition for the design and author's supervision.
Read more about the controversy over the competition in the September issue of A&B.
competition assumptions
The Krakow Music Center is to become the city's main concert venue, home to choirs, orchestras, festivals and a stage open to the arts and art education. At the same time, it is to be a socially accessible, active and open place. The venue is intended to reflect the idea of sustainability, so the organizers recommend that the level of aesthetics throughout the building should be similarly high - spaces for artists and staff should be as attractive and functional as those for the audience. The venue should be bright, take advantage of daylight, and is to be functional and elegant, incorporating high-quality ecological materials. The concert hall should accommodate an audience of about 1,000, as well as 120 people on stage and 80 in the choir balcony.
competition court
Evaluation of the submitted projects will be carried out by the competition court consisting of:
- Krzysztof Kiendra - Municipal Urban Planning and Architectural Commission, chairman judge,
- Jacek Lenart - SARP Szczecin Branch, deputy chairman judge,
- Marcin Brataniec - SARP Krakow Branch, referee,
- Jerzy Muzyk - 2nd Deputy Mayor of the City of Cracow for Sustainable Development,
- Andrzej Bulanda - SARP Warsaw Branch,
- Tomasz Bobrowski - Chief Architect of the City of Krakow,
- Borysław Czarakcziew - City Urban Planning and Architectural Commission,
- Przemo Łukasik - representative of the ordering party,
- Jan Tomasz Adamus - director of Capella Cracoviensis,
- Piotr Chuchacz - Malopolska Regional Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland.
- Marcin Charciarek - SARP Krakow Branch, deputy of the competition judges,
- Witold Gilewicz - representative of the contracting authority, deputy of the competition judges,
- Marek Szeniawski - SARP Warsaw Branch, organizing secretary of the competition,
- Benita Strzałka - SARP Branch Krakow, assistant secretary of the competition.
competition timetable
The planned investment, of priority importance for the development of Krakow's metropolitan functions, is to be a place of outstanding acoustic qualities, a showpiece of musical Krakow, as well as a contemporary architectural icon, harmoniously integrated into the context of its surroundings. Three prizes are to be awarded , and the pot is PLN 200 thousand. The first place winner will receive PLN 100 thousand and an invitation to negotiate a sole-source contract for the creation of comprehensive design documentation based on the competition work.
- applications for admission to the competition: by September 4 this year.
- admission to the competition: until September 11 this year.
- submission of study papers in the first stage of the competition: until October 16 this year.
- settlement of the 1st stage of the competition: until October 30 this year.
- submission of studies in thesecond stage of the competition: until December 11 this year.
- announcement of results and opening of the post-competition exhibition: until December 18 this year.
More information, detailed regulations, materials and the address where applications should be submitted are available on the competition website.
