Polski
The Revitalisation of the Year was won by Warsaw’s Hala Koszyki market hall by Jems Architekci, Medusa Group, LGL, Buro Happold and RSAK. The Hala Koszyki complex consists of the revitalised indoor market building, three office buildings and an underground floor with a car park and facilities for suppliers. The historic building was originally restored in the 1950s. Having been ruined by war it was given a totally different form to its pre-war condition, and was subsequently re-developed and modified. In 2006 the building was partially demolished and reconstructed, recreating its original form while making it suitable for modern use. Today the complex, which is owned by Griffin Real Estate, comprises 14,000 sqm of office space and 10,000 sqm of retail and service space.
Among the other nominated architects – Zbigniew Maćków and Łukasz Reszka of Maćków Pracownia Projektowa faced a real challenge. A late 19th-century tram depot, which during World War II was destroyed and converted into a bus depot, is to be converted into the Centrum Historii Zajezdnia [Depot History Centre]. The investor, Ośrodek ‘Pamięć i Przyszłość’ [the ‘Memory and Future’ Centre], plans to develop a new training and research centre nearby, where conferences and lectures will be held. The modern museum is certain to transform the image of the whole district, which up to now has been industrial in nature.
Another notable design is the revitalisation of the Otto Gehlig villa in Łódź. The purpose of the project was to restore and modernise the heritage building, adapting it for services, but in such a way that it would preserve its original structure and corridor systems. Two service units with a combined 300 sqm gla have been designed. One is to be a café where various events can be staged, while the other is to be a bookshop with a reading room. The architectural design has been prepared by RWSL studio, while the investor is the Municipal Investment Authority.
