The piled-up masses of the office building make light play on its façade, and illuminate the interior well. The greenery preserved all around and the concrete open staircase inside are hallmarks of this project. It was recognized in the 2020 SARP Award of the Year competition.
Located in Częstochowa, the office building is the headquarters of EXG, a company that operates in the financial industry. The building's investor is Exchange Group. The design team of OVO Grąbczewscy Architekci , consisting of Barbara Grąbczewska, Oskar Grąbczewski and associates: Marek Grąbczewski, Jacek Rymaszewski, Zuzanna Robutka, Mikołaj Szewczyk, Sonia Jarczyk, Kamil Kajdas, Magdalena Orzeł, Natalia Pączko, Paulina Gocoł, Natalia Miłczak, Justyna Motyka, Iga Mazur, Piotr Mrzyk, Anna Underowicz, sought a form that would harmonize with the investor's character. At the same time, the priority was to provide employees with comfortable and bright office spaces.
Deconstructed Rubik's cube
The building is located in a low-rise residential neighborhood. Despite its sizable volume, it blends in well with its surroundings, as the dismemberment of the block made it possible to limit its height. The cuboidal body of the building consists of repetitive modules measuring 3 × 3 × 3 meters. They are stacked irregularly on top of each other to create arcades and terraces. The whole has a mathematical expression, reminiscent of a deconstructed Rubik's cube, the individual elements of which are out of control. The expression of the whole is determined by the materials. The concrete frame is insulated and clad on the outside with precast architectural concrete elements. Its light gray color harmonizes with the natural-colored glulam woodwork, which illuminates the entire facade.
EXG building in Częstochowa, photo by Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
© Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
comfortable office spaces
The interior of the building houses offices and common spaces. The architects made sure that despite the austere form, these spaces are people-friendly. Thanks to the building's disjointed form, plenty of daylight enters the interior. The windows have installed wooden shutters, which are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to blinds, in case of harsh sun. The dominant element is the reinforced concrete staircase. The coordinating lighting gives character to the entire interior. As the architects emphasize:
We wanted to create attractive, user-friendly interiors. The co-working space is large and high, and through the windows you can see the trees and tall greenery surrounding the building. All levels are connected by a sculptural staircase, the execution of which as a continuous ribbon of monolithic reinforced concrete required very intensive cooperation between architects, designers and contractors.
The staircase, photo by Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
© Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
green roof and trees around
Greenery is an integral part of the project. Although the plot is not large, the architects found a solution on how to make sure there is as much of it as possible. First of all, they managed to preserve all the existing healthy trees on the site. This is a huge advantage, since the existing greenery is already large. Freshly planted trees would take years to reach the windows of the upper floors. By preserving the existing stand of trees, people in the office have a view of the greenery, rather than the surrounding buildings. In addition, the biologically active area is also complemented by a green roof. This is a solution that enriches the diversity of the area. Greenery is also present in the interior of the building. Ivy climbs along the steel cables in the axis of the staircase.
Green roof and preserved tree stand, photo by Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
© Tomasz Zakrzewski/archifolio
The building received an honorable mention in the 2020 SARP Award of the Year competition.
