Do buildings being constructed in the surroundings of old buildings always have to formally relate to their surroundings? Are eclectic details, traditional materials used to cover the facade and the silhouette of the new building subordinated to the surrounding buildings the only way out of a situation in which it is located among historic buildings? It turns out not, as the headquarters of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza, erected at the end of 2021 according to the design of the MWArchitekci studio, perfectly demonstrates.
Neglected post-industrial spaces with 19th- and 20th-century buildings are plentiful in Poland. Many of them are undergoing revitalization, which take advantage of the existing architectural landscape and implement new elements that formally relate to the existing buildings. To this end, within the revitalized complexes buildings of agreed proportions are created, using brick and steel elements as building material or facade cladding. It is difficult to have objections to such a design philosophy - it allows to give new life to objects that already exist and to increase the available usable space without significant interference with the historic character of the place. It turns out, however, that within the framework of such assumptions buildings can be created that are thoroughly modern in their architectural expression, while at the same time not disturbing the historical genius loci. An important example of such a realization is the temporary seat of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce, located within the former Dąbrowa Obrabiarek Ponar-Defum Factory, which is currently being revitalized as part of the "Factory Full of Life" urban-creative project .
Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Photo: Bartek Barczyk © MWArchitekci
architectural tetris
The architectural environment in which the new facility was built is highly defined. This is because the futuristic design of ZIG's temporary headquarters grew on a square between two production halls, eclectic buildings built of red brick and framed by historicizing architectural details. The post-industrial history of the site became the inspiration for the design concept by Marlena Wolnik and Karolina Więcławik - the headquarters was initially to be made of industrial containers. Difficulties with access to materials led to changes in the concept, but the original assumptions remained the same. Indeed, the structure of ZIG's headquarters is based on a modular structure made of steel. The modules that make up the new building, like the steel containers in the docks or warehouses, juxtaposed together form a geometric silhouette based on repeating cubic blocks. In MWArchitekci's design, the blocks, of which there are nine in total, are juxtaposed in threes, a reference to the abundantly triangular logo the institution used when the building was constructed.
Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza
photo: Bartek Barczyk © MWArchitekci
The final layout of the modules also has a functional dimension - by shifting one of the "threes" with respect to the front elevation, an arcade was created on the first floor, in a natural way emphasizing the main entrance to the building and the multifunctional rooms and facilities located there. At the same time, a terrace was created on the first floor thanks to this, creating a pre-entry zone to the office part designed there," describe the realization of the architects responsible for it. The headquarters of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce was also built in the spirit of the circular economy - the building is not permanently tied to the ground, and thanks to its modular structure it can be dismantled and then assembled elsewhere and rearranged to perform a new function if necessary.
Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Photo: Bartek Barczyk © MWArchitekci
ghost building
The{tag:pracownie} studio's design practice often uses materials with glossy surfaces, in which the building's surroundings and the people using it are reflected. This time they became the reason for an unusual approach to the subject of interference with the strongly defined, partly historical built environment. Instead of historicizing architectural details, brick or black steel I-beams, so often seen in revitalizations of post-industrial buildings, Marlena Wolnik and Karolina Więcławik decided to cover the new building with panels of polished sheet metal, which like a mirror reflects on its surface everything that is around. Such a façade makes it so that, despite its futuristic form and lack of direct references to the existing architecture of the Ponar-Defim factory, the new ZIG headquarters blends into its surroundings, becoming a background for the industrial hall buildings and the life going on in the complex. The design decision taken by MWArchitekci also has its consequences in the context of the aforementioned circular nature of the building - regardless of the location of the building, it will similarly fit into its surroundings.
Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Photo: Bartek Barczyk © MWArchitekci
multifunctional center
The seat of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce has been included in the space of the initiative implemented under the name "Factory Full of Life". Within its framework, a "new" social center of Dąbrowa Górnicza is being created on the site of a former machine tool factory. According to the project's assumptions, the "life" in its name takes place in the green areas arranged within the complex, in cafes and restaurants, or in the planned housing and business premises. The city-forming and multifunctional nature of the concept is enriched by the ZIG headquarters, which was built in 2021. The open plan of the new building allows it to be easily adapted to perform functions that do not immediately come to mind in connection with the name of the organization located inside. In addition to its office function, the MWArchitekci building can also successfully serve as a venue for exhibitions, presentations and lectures. These in the Full Life Factory are in abundance, because, as we learn from the project website, in 2023 alone more than 160 cultural events took place on its premises. The headquarters of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce can therefore serve as both an ephemeral backdrop and the center of the events taking place at the factory.
Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce in Dąbrowa Górnicza
Photo: Bartek Barczyk © MWArchitekci
in mirror image
The MWArchitekci building is an atypical structure - an object in whose walls both the ongoing industrial history of the place, in the form of buildings, and its new, social face are reflected. Polished to a shine, the facades of the new building play the role of a mirror documenting the changes taking place in the new center of Dąbrowa Górnicza. The headquarters of the Zagłębie Chamber of Commerce is also, above all, an extremely creative, fresh look at the problem of developing spaces with historical character. MWArchitekci prove that it can be done without referring to the usual schemes and historical patterns, proposing a design that gives the space a new dimension, while remaining in deep relationship with the existing buildings.
