Focusing on the problems of Czestochowa' s residents - the lack of a representative cultural center, a place for recreation and strengthening social ties, {tag:studenci}, a graduate of architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, designed the Wave of Dialogue. His proposal is a monumental Municipal Cultural Center, drifting above the ground.
The city of Czestochowa, with a population of over 200,000, is a victim of the administrative reform of the past century, after which it receded into the shadows, at the expense of larger provincial centers. Now is the time for a piece of the urban-social puzzle that will become an impetus for change. Time for a wave that refreshes outdated and stagnant structures. A flexible space that follows the idea of strengthening social ties by creating open form. An architecture of connections, continuity, contact, an architecture carried on the Wave of Dialogue," postulates Mateusz Michalak.
The monumental building of the cultural center in Częstochowa
© Mateusz Michalak
topos of democracy
Theidea of the diplomaproject made under the direction of Dr. Rafał Zawisza, prof. of PK and dr. Lukas Olma derives from the topos of democracy. The hilly hills in ancient Greece were places where citizens met for debates. It was there that new ideas were born and important decisions were made.
The hilly hills became the inspiration for the design of the square
© Mateusz Michalak
For this reason, we associate the terrain of the Helladic hills with public dialogue. The characteristic relief of the terrain is reflected in the soft lines of the architecture of the plazas and ceilings. This suspends the architecture and the surroundings in a space of reciprocal relations, where sinuously rising hills peek from the space of the square into the interiors of the linear building. Unlike Polish old towns, the space of the square I designed offers the user a metaphor for the true nature of life in society - convoluted and curvilinear. The multilevel nature of its layout creates spaces that facilitate interpersonal contacts. Everyone will find a space for themselves here," explains the author.
The building is set on a reinforced concrete structure
© Mateusz Michalak
levitating building
Inspired by Greek architecture, Mateusz Michalak designed the building of the Municipal Cultural Center in Częstochowa with a strongly geometrized body.
It is defined by the human-scale dominant length parameter of 260 meters. The lump of the cultural center seems to levitate above the ground. This effect was achieved by placing it on modernist reinforced concrete pillars, six meters high, holding up the entire structure. The façade, on the other hand, from the perspective of a passerby is perceived as a monumental, uniform, infinite structure composed of vertical elements, the author says.
The building hovers above the square
© Mateusz Michalak
Wave of Dialogue
Functionally, the project is divided into three parts. The first is a square created from regularly rising hills. The different levels of height and slopes create a dynamic environment that multiplies the ways it can be used. The interior of the building is accessed by a ramp going down into a carved-out space of a seven-meter-wide hillock. It intentionally has no formal connection between the plaza surface and the building to heighten the feeling of unreality.
A ramp leads to the interior of the building
© Mateusz Michalak
Then, the second part of the building begins by descending from the ramp to the main lobby in the northern part of the building. Closest to the entrance is the exhibition zone, which is a direct extension of the lobby space. The underground zone is a realm of raw concrete, which is crowned by a plaza slab. The main part of the building levitating above the square is connected to the underground zone by four staircases.
first floor and second floor plan
© Mateusz Michalak
The rigid body hides drifting floors, where users have full freedom in the use of space. The layout has been divided into five zones: a multifunctional room for up to 250 people, a coworking area, a mediatheque, and craft and model rooms. The volume of the main functions is dictated by the external form of the building, which is linear in nature. The structure of the levitating part is based on massive trusses measuring 260 by 9 meters, which are supported by four pairs of columns.
The sunshade system is formed by polycarbonate panels
© Mateusz Michalak
unusual facade
The facade is an integral part of the building, giving it character. It consists of movable wings - closed they lay flat creating a uniform structure, while in the semi-open or fully open position they stand out from the facade, giving the building expression. The sunshade system is equipped with sensors that measure the intensity level of the sun's rays and temperature and mechanically regulate them. They are alternating polycarbonate panels mounted on actuators. Arranged in two rows, they form a double façade, resistant to acoustic issues related to traffic and light transmission to the interior.
monumental facade stands out against other buildings
© Mateusz Michalak
Wave of Dialogue restores forgotten sectors of social activity in Częstochowa. Taking advantage of the proximity to the center and the potential of the traffic junction, it creates a new quality for public utility architecture. A symbolic space of understanding and self-improvement for residents," concludes Mateusz Michalak.
However, will such monumental solutions really, as the author wants, strengthen social ties? Or will they rather overwhelm the audience, who will get lost in such a large space? An example of a project on a more human and friendly scale is, the ecological building of the Center for Local Community Activation by Adrian Matuszewski, also a student at the Cracow University of Technology.
