Polski
The first stage of the voting in the Eurobuild Awards in Architecture competition took place on September 7th. Architects and urban planners chose the finalists in each of the competition’s five categories.
The jury met at the home of the Association of Polish Architects [SARP] in Warsaw. The chairman was Grzegorz Stiasny, representing SARP and being the co-founder of the Stiasny/Wacławek studio. Taking part in the vote were a number of distinguished and well-known architects: Ewa Kuryłowicz (Kuryłowicz & Associates); Tomasz Konior (Konior Studio), Agnieszka Kalinowska-Sołtys (SARP/APA Wojciechowski); Rafał Schurma (PLGBC, Visio architects), Wojciech Grabianowski (RKW Architects +), Karol Fiedor (CDF Architekci) and Bartłomiej Kisielewski (Horizone Studio). Marek Szeniawski, the secretary of SARP supervised the voting process.
Dozens of projects developed in 2016 had been nominated for the awards, with the Office Building of the Year category garnering the most entries. The projects themselves were by large international developers as well as local companies, and varied in terms of their size, style and the design challenges related to them, such as being located on an untypical plot, as was the case with an office and service building on ul. Kopernika in Warsaw. The jury were faced with the difficulty of comparing projects that varied in terms of scale and function – some have been designed for specific users, as was the case with the new home for Wiadomości Wrzesińskie magazine and Centrum Badań Informatycznych Beyond.pl, while others have still to attract tenants, which is why they offer less individualised and flexible space. Much attention was devoted to the local authority buildings of Wielka Wieś district. “This is architecture that makes no reference to the other buildings in the neighbourhood, so it’s a bit like a UFO has landed there,” commented Bartłomiej Kisielewski of Horizone Studio, after visiting the project in Wielka Wieś. “But this is exactly why it could initiate changes in the architecture of the local area and projects could appear like that of Wiadomości Wrzesińskie,” he added. The jury highlighted the projects which, apart from their basic function, could also add valuable new public spaces to a town, such as The Metropolitan, with its open internal yard, or the local government building in Wielka Wieś once again. “People appreciate the place, they gather and meet on the square around the building. In this way living urban space has been created,” added Bartłomiej Kisielewski. In assessing the projects the architects also took into consideration the materials used, including those used on the façades. They appreciated the use of cable ducts on the building for cable manufacturer Kanlux, which has given the elevation of the redeveloped building a uniform appearance as well as protection from the sun at the same time. “We should also think about how the materials used on the façade age and how much it costs to keep them in good condition,” remarked Agnieszka Kalinowska-Sołtys, representing the Association of Polish Architects. “Concrete remains the same much longer than steel,” she added.
Another category, the Revitalisation of the Year, included projects (not only heritage schemes but those that are important for that particular town or city for various reasons) that had been given new functions after redevelopment or that have been restored to use. The entries submitted revealed that in Poland there is a great deal of interest in the revitalisation of interesting buildings, including those from the post-war period rather than exclusively from the 19th century or the early the 20th century. “Revitalisation is the future of architecture,” argued Ewa Kuryłowicz, the vice-president of Kuryłowicz Associates. “In large cities is it increasingly difficult to find locations for new buildings, so revitalisation could be one of the ways of overcoming these limitations,” she added.
Workplace Solution was another category that received a lot of entries. The jury noted the trend for ‘homifying’ office space, using soft seats and carpets. “You can even find the hygge style in some of them,” remarked Ewa Kuryłowicz. Companies following the trail blazed by Google and others from the creative sector are now attempting to outdo each other in terms of providing amenities and attractions for their employees, such as foosball, hammocks and swings. However, when assessing the projects the jury took into consideration the individuality of the approach, not only those that followed these trends, but also the more minimalist and modest projects.
The Best Eco- and User-Friendly Facility category combined an assessment of the water/energy efficiency and other green solutions with the level of comfort of use. During their discussion the jury members noted that innovative technologies developed a few years ago have now become the norm; while at the same time Polish buildings are more often reaching the highest standards.
The jury devoted a great deal of time to the Public Utility Place category, which included projects by private investors as well as state and local government. The architects present remarked that some of the nominated projects have been immediately embraced by the public and have integrated seamlessly into the living urban fabric. “The place should attract users rather than just enticing people to the attractions themselves,” believes Tomasz Konior of Konior Studio.
During the lively discussions, the jurors not only heaped praise on the architects but also applauded the open-mindedness of investors. The architects on the jury highlighted the projects that could initiate novel and positive trends in Polish architecture and those that have already made a contribution to the quality of the urban fabric, transforming how that particular area is viewed and used.
The next stage of the voting, which will also be attended by representatives of developers and investors, will take place on September 13th.
