The Capital City of Warsaw – Ursynów District announced an architectural competition for the concept of a new building for the “Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz Public Library” on Bacewiczówny St,, including landscaping and an access road design, on July 8, 2025. Forty-one applications were submitted, of which 11 were rejected for formal reasons. Thirty participants received invitations to the Competition, and 13 entries were selected for evaluation. After lengthy and heated deliberations, the jury selected three prizes and awarded one honorable mention.
AMC won second place. Below is the full jury’s justification for selecting our entry:
“The jury awarded entry no. 847135 second prize, recognizing its original, sculptural architectural concept, whose bold design decisions give the building a distinctive and unique character, distinguishing it from other competition entries.
The design synthesizes and clearly combines three key functions – literary, performing, and administrative. The open, transparent space of the ground floor, highlighted by wide glazing, creates an inviting entrance area conducive to reading, meetings, and quiet work.
The concept of the themed gardens, located both at ground level and on the roof, deserves recognition. An external ramp surrounding the building provides an attractive, fully accessible walking path and enhances the building’s relationship with the surrounding greenery.
The jury highly praised the extensive accessibility system, which includes a series of ramps and ramps connecting all floors. These create a communication model ensuring smooth movement for users with varying mobility levels.” The functional flexibility and technological maturity were also appreciated, including a multi-functional auditorium with extensive stage equipment, advanced building management systems (BMS), and energy-efficient lighting and control solutions, logically and coherently integrated into the overall concept.
The design represents a consistently developed architectural proposal combining refined form, high levels of accessibility, and a wide range of functionality. In the opinion of the Competition Jury, it is one of the most visionary entries submitted to the competition, and its distinctive form has the potential to become a new icon for Ursynów.
At the same time, the Competition Jury notes that such an extensive and complex structure of the facility may pose significant economic challenges – both during construction and subsequent operation. Despite its high conceptual value, the design would require a detailed cost analysis and optimization of technical solutions in later stages, which could necessitate significant modifications – and thus fundamentally alter its current appearance and key parameters.
>>LINK TO THE COMPETITION PAGE<<
