Bauhaus idea
In order to equalize the height between the two wings of the main factory building, the author decided to overbuild one floor, where she placed a library and design studios for students and teachers. In accordance with Bauhaus ideas, this procedure, is aimed at blurring the barrier between lecturers and students by creating a space for joint work. Karolina Jankowska also developed a part of the courtyard, which includes a two-story exhibition space and an auditorium. In the school section, she proposed numerous workshops for students - carpentry, metalwork, weaving, a model shop, a painting studio, a 3D printing studio and a photo-video studio. Meanwhile, she allocated the first floor of the existing building for a café and a store for students' works.
coworking space and flower shop
© Karolina Jankowska
gentle interference
The premise of the project was to gently and harmoniously interfere with the existing structure and to provide open, well-lit spaces connecting to the green recreational areas of the bastion. In order to clearly distinguish the new part of the building from the historic one, the author proposed an extension in a minimalist glass form. The proposed development surrounds the existing greenery, creating a kind of glass cubicles that, in addition to their ecological value, illuminate the courtyard. At the level of the underground storey, under the roots of the trees, there are retention tanks for rainwater.
The author tried to preserve the original layout of the structure
© Karolina Jankowska
Karolina Jankowska tried to preserve the original structural layout of the building, deciding only to demolish part of the ceilings locally and change the structural layout from load-bearing walls, to a columnar layout. This procedure made it possible to create open and flexible spaces. The northern wing of the building, with its hall-like layout, offers a spacious large-area space that can host concerts, conferences, design and fashion fairs. The bastion arm, on the other hand, has been earmarked for recreational areas for neighborhood residents.
An important element of the project is to improve the functioning of this degraded part of the Dolne Miasto district. This refers to the activities carried out since 2004 by the City of Gdansk under the slogan "revitalization with art". The variety of functions proposed by the architect in the adapted bastion buildings creates a new, vibrant public space.
compiled by: Dobrawa Bies
illustrations courtesy of Karolina Jankowska
