The intimate commemoration of the relics of Mieszko I's palatium is the best last year's realization in Poznan. The statuette of Jan Baptista Quadro went to the J.P. Woźny Design Studio. There are also two honorable mentions: for an office building for the Medusa Group and for a residential building - for the Ultra Architects studio .
Small scale tops! Modest and unusual form won this year's 24th edition of the Jan Baptista Quadro competition for the best architectural project in Poznań completed last year. The award, sponsored by Poznań's mayor, went to the exhibition of relics of Mieszko I's palatium on Ostrów Tumski by Pracownia Projektowa J.P Woźny (arch. Przemysław Woźny). The low spatial installation made of artistic glass reproduces the outline of the palatium of the first ruler of Poland and the chapel of his wife Dobrawa (we described the object, among other things, here). Relics of both of these buildings were discovered by Poznan archaeologists at the beginning of this century The relics they found, examined and buried are located next to and within the Gothic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Summo near Poznan Cathedral.
Exposition of relics of Mieszko I's palatium on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań - proj. Pracownia Projektowa J.P. Woźny
photo: Archiglass
harmony, synergy, balance
The close proximity of a small temple with a nowadays unstable structure meant that the relics in the underground archaeological reserve were not exposed. Instead, they were marked with a low wall of art glass referring to the stone walls developed by Tomasz and Konrad Urbanowicz of Archiglass. At night, the installation is illuminated from the inside directing attention not only to the shapes of buildings from a thousand years ago, but also - the church.
Exposition of relics of Mieszko I's palatium on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań - designed by J.P. Woźny Design Studio, artistic glass imitates the surface of stone walls
photo: Jakub Głaz
The overall design is discreet, contemporary, but not aggressive and does not compete with the historic surroundings. This is also mentioned in the jury's verdict, read by Poznan Mayor Jacek Jaskowiak during the award ceremony:
The building was awarded for its harmonious combination of contemporary form and historical context, the synergy of which creates a balanced mood of the place. The architecture of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Summo has thus gained a new discreet luster, and has become noticed again. The perception of the new form changes with the seasons and the day, and positively surprises every time. The presence of this object in this space restores anew its due memory as a place of the sacred and the profane.
order also important
The awarded Przemyslaw Wozny thanked all his colleagues and added his own to the jury's comments:
The subject is quite modest, but its greatness comes from its place and history. I am even more pleased that the surrounding area has been cleaned up, so that both the church and the neighboring psaltery can be viewed without obstruction. There is also a beautiful new view of the cathedral from the Warta River.
Exposition of relics of Mieszko I's palatium on Ostrów Tumski in Poznań - proj. Pracownia Projektowa J.P. Woźny
Photo: Mikolaj Bleja
This tidying up, i.e. removal of gates and outbuildings disfiguring the area, is also thanks to Wozny's studio, which managed to convince the Poznan Curia to make changes. Wozny also thanked representatives of the city (Poznań is one of the investors, in addition to the Archdiocese and the Archaeological Museum) for increasing the budget, which made it possible to use artistic glass of a quality that corresponds to the importance of the site. The designer also recalled that the installation is part of a project that has been underway for years to expose the history of Ostrow Tumski, including the Genius Loci Reserve (designed by TOYA Design) and the Gate of Poznań (designed by Ad Artis Emerla Jagiełłowicz Wojda, now Ad Artis Architects).
The statue of Jan Baptista Quadro (the author of the Renaissance reconstruction of Poznań City Hall) is another honor for the realization of Woźny's studio on Ostrów Tumski. In September, the "Spirit of the Palatium" (as the realization is also called) received the international CODAaward in the "liturgical" category (read more: here). Currently, the realization is also nominated in the Architectural Award of the Wielkopolska Region (NAWW) competition, as is another last year's realization by Woźny's studio: the Tlenownia social activation center in Czempin (we showed it here).
twice Wilda
Following the pattern of the last two editions, the jury also awarded honorable mentions. By coincidence, two buildings in the Wilda district were appreciated. The first is a massive but skillfully sculpted office building with an interior atrium - part of the new Nowy Rynek office complex (we mentioned it last week). The edifice, designed by Medusa Group, stands at the beginning of Wierzbięcice Street and is a kind of gateway leading into Wilda. The jury complimented this realization in its justification as follows:
The original juxtaposition of non-trivial materials, their colors and the form of the building, together with the courtyard in the form of an oculus, form a coherent whole like an urban sculpture.
Office building "D" in the Nowy Rynek complex in Poznan - proj.: Medusa Group
photo: Przemyslaw Turlej
The second honorable mention, however, went to a very successful building in the heart of the district - at Wildecki Market. The distinctive multi-family house designed by Poznan's Ultra Architects (Marcin Kościuch and Tomasz Osięgłowski) has formed the previously non-existent northern frontage of the square. At the same time, it harmonizes with both the scale of the older tenements and the church standing next to it, which, among other features, won the approval of the competition jury (extensive presentation of the building: here).
Tenement house at Rynek Wildecki in Poznań - proj.: Ultra Architects
photo x 2: Dawid Majewski
It's worth mentioning that Ultra Architects received the Quadro statuette for the Za Bramką office building built in 2017, and - a year ago - an honorable mention for the multi-family building complex on Trójpole Street.
Two more Poznan buildings were nominated in this year's Quadro competition: the single-family "White House" by the frequently and deservedly awarded recent PL.architekci studio, and the multifamily building at 39 Jezycka Street, designed by Habitat Architekci .
"White house" - proj.: PL.architekci; multi-family building at 39 Jeżycka Street, proj.: Habitat Architects
photo: Tom Kurek, Martyna Adamczewska
By the way, it should be noted that the number of works submitted in this year's competition was not impressive. Only 15 objects were considered. After the Quadro competition was decided, Poznań and Greater Poland are waiting for the verdict in the NAWW competition. Announcement of the results - next month.
