We know the results of the international competition for the architectural concept of one of the tallest and largest investments to be developed in the center of Gdynia. The first place was won by the studio Grupa 5 Architekci from Warsaw, beating projects by MVRDV from the Netherlands and RMJM from the UK, among others. The residential dominant will be about 120 meters high, placing the building among the top Polish high-rise buildings.
The results of the competition certified by the Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Architects, organized by the Allcon Group, were announced on Tuesday, December 15. The concepts were for a development at the intersection of Kielecka Street and Droga Gdyńska Street, near the Riviera Shopping Center in Gdynia. Six renowned studios with experience in designing high-rise buildings were invited to the competition: RMJM from the UK, MVRDV from the Netherlands, Warsaw's APA Wojciechowski and Grupa 5 Architekci, ARUP Architekci from Katowice in consortium with Sopot's Roark Studio, and Gdynia's BJK Architekci.
The project by MVRDV received an honorable mention
© MVRDV
new space in Gdynia
The scale of the project is enormous. A new, architecturally coherent space will be created on an area of two hectares, including about 55,000 square meters of usable space for services, offices and apartments.
According to Wojciech Szczurek, the president of Gdynia:
Thanks to this investment, the face of Gdynia will change. That part of it, which is located on the western side of the SKM tracks, will gain a distinctive face and a prestigious character. The bold and creative architecture and urban planning proposed in the winning work fits harmoniously into the urban fabric of the downtown area. I am pleased that architectural studios of not only national, but also European and world renown were invited to the competition. Thanks to this, the result reflects the best and current trends in the design of urban spaces. It is also extremely gratifying that the designers have assigned a very important role to public spaces. Residents will have at their disposal not only squares with a metropolitan character, but also intimate green courtyards, and everything will be connected by aesthetically pleasing pedestrian routes and bicycle paths.
The development on Kielecka Street will be a prestigious mixed-use complex, combining residential, office and service functions.
Due to the high profile of this investment, we organized an international competition to explore different visions and ideas for using the potential of a very attractive plot of land that combines the best features of Gdynia. The winner was a project of high standard, beneficial to the image of the city and competitive in the national market. It will expand the center of Gdynia, create new jobs and attractive leisure activities for all residents," adds Piotr Tarkowski, a member of Allcon Osiedle's management board.
gdynia highrise
The jury of the competition included Marcin Sienkowski and Jakub Nowopolski - members of the Chamber of Architects, Renata Stelmach and Iwona Markešić from the City Hall of Gdynia, as well as representatives of the investor - Allcon Group. Iwona Markešić, director of the Office of Spatial Planning of the City of Gdynia, acted as chairman of the jury. When evaluating the works, the architectural and urban qualities of the concept were taken into account, such as clarity and aesthetics of the proposed solutions, ingenuity in shaping pedestrian communication, arrangement of green and recreational areas and their connection with the surrounding wooded hills. Also evaluated was the functionality of the concept in terms of realization of the guidelines and program-spatial assumptions and the application of optimal functional solutions, both in the residential and office parts.
The main prize went to architects from Grupa 5 Architekci
© Grupa 5 Architekci
metropolitan scale and intimate spaces
Thefirst prize was decided to be awarded to the project by the studio Grupa 5 Arch itekci from Warsaw. Its victory was determined primarily by the best fulfillment of architectural and urban planning requirements. The project is the result of three months of work by architects and landscape architects. The project also involved a multi-discipline design team (installation and construction) along with consultants and experts. In the final phase, graphic designers and mock-up contractors got to work.
Located on different levels, the green gardens, both on the ground,
as well as on the roofs of the buildings, will introduce human scale and intimacy between the tall buildings
© Group 5 Architects
As Roman Dziedziejko, board member and partner of the Grupa 5 Architekci studio, says about the awarded project and inspiration:
The main inspiration for us was the modernist legacy of Gdynia's homogeneous and distinctive architecture from the interwar period. On the other hand, we wanted to refer to the modern port city and the seamless connection between modern architecture and the landscape overflowing from the hills towards the Gdynia Road. The idea behind the project is to create a development complex at the junction of Gdynia's downtown and the moraine hills, within which metropolitan scale will mingle with intimate landscape spaces. The complex of white point buildings, thanks to the squares designed in their vicinity, will move the urban fabric of Downtown, filled with human activity, to the western side of the railroad line. At the same time, it will relate to the natural neighborhood. Located at different levels, the green gardens, both on the ground and on the roofs of the buildings, will introduce human scale and intimacy between the tall buildings. Contrasting with the greenery, the simple white architecture of the buildings with geometric divisions will refer to the homogeneous development of Gdynia from the pre-war modernism period. The complex has a chance to become a landmark and marker of the city, being an important point in its identification, like a contemporary lighthouse rising above the scale of its surroundings.
MVRD received an honorable mention for its unconventional approach to landscaping and ubiquitous greenery
© MVRD
The jury also decided to award a distin ction to a work that drew special attention from the jury, but did not score the highest number of points according to the evaluation criteria in the competition regulations. The work by MVRDV was awarded due to, among other things, its unconventional approach to land development and the greenery permeating the entire site.
implementation in two years
The developer, together with the winning architects, is now proceeding to work out the details of the project. It is already known that the implementation of the project will begin with the residential part. The developer also intends to apply for numerous certificates, including the Polish "Object without Barriers", as well as international ones: BREEAM awarded for ecological solutions and WELL Core and Shell, which confirms special care for the health and well-being of residents. The design and permitting process for construction will take about two years.
