A two-stage architectural and urban planning competition—comprising a design phase and an implementation phase—for the development of an architectural concept and site plan for Phase A and Phase B of the project titled “Construction of a research and teaching building at 2/4 Bednarska Street” (Phase A of the project is being implemented as part of the Multi-Year Program titled “University of Warsaw 2016–2025”).
The design introduces an element of city-forming urban composition in the form of Academic Square, with parts of the proposed building (Phase A) situated around it, and also allows for its expansion to include structures such as the Vistula River Museum or another exhibition facility (Phase B). It is also possible that the structures of Phase B could serve as an extension of the university’s facilities, with a diverse program of spaces that would naturally complement the Vistula boulevards.
The composition of the new building’s volumes is based on two axes—the main axis of the Łaźnia building and the viewing axis toward the panorama featuring St. Anne’s Church, Castle Square, and the Royal Castle.
The building has been designed to consist of two parts: a northern and a southern section. Both parts of the building comprise a total of five stories: two underground and three above ground. Both parts of the building are located on the planned Academic Square; they are connected above and below ground by a passageway running along Dobra Street. At ground level, perpendicular to the passageway, there is an open arcade that serves as an extension of Mariensztat Street.
Communication between the floors is provided by three stairwells with elevators, arranged according to the logic of the floor plans. Beneath Plac Akademicki is a service courtyard with access to a freight elevator connecting the underground levels.
In accordance with the recommendations of the Mazovian Conservator of Monuments, the connection between the new building and the Łaźnia building was designed based on the principle of maximizing the exposure of the building’s north wall; the relationship between the new building and the Bathhouse building became a guideline for shaping the form—the southern part of the new building, in the form of a cylinder with a functional ground-floor connector, constitutes a harmonious solution in plan, section, and three-dimensional space, serving as an alternative to enclosing the proposed development from the south with a simple wall.
The volume of Phase B, with provisions for an exhibition function, allows for the integration and expansion of Phase A’s functions within the university building or the establishment of an independent institution, such as the Vistula River Museum, while incorporating solutions that optimize evacuation conditions, vertical circulation, access to the underground garage, etc.
The design provides for the construction of a usable roof over the northern part of Phase A, intended for the building’s users. The usable roof in Phase B will be accessible without restrictions, serving as an extension of the Vistula boulevards and, locally, connecting the building compositionally and functionally with the Matysiak Radio Family Park in front of the Łaźnia building.
The main interior space of the building is a multi-story area accessible from the main entrance at Plac Akademicki, opening onto a panorama featuring St. Anne’s Church, Zamkowy Square, and the Royal Castle. Its layout in plan and section allows, among other things, for the rooms located in the central wings to be illuminated by natural light. This space has varying heights (five, four, three, two, and one stories), which allows, among other things, for the diverse zoning of its sections with temporary or permanent acoustic separation.
The southern part of the building contains: a separate zone with faculty offices, a lecture hall with direct access from the office zone to the department entrance (via a separate elevator and dedicated staircase), and classrooms in the basement along Dobra Street. This part of the building also houses areas designed to encourage collaborative work among students and faculty, located around the auditorium on the ground floor, adjacent to Academic Square.
The 250-seat auditorium, located in the southern part of the building, can operate independently during periods when teaching activities are suspended (weekends, vacations, holidays, etc.).
A functional connection between the southern part of the new building and the Łaźnia building has been designed at the ground floor level, with a passageway to the auditorium and the interactive communication zone surrounding it, and further on, a connecting corridor to the northern part of the building.
The underground levels of this part of the building include a two-level underground garage, a technical services area, storage rooms, and other auxiliary spaces.
As expected, the building was designed to be as flexible as possible, adaptable to the changing needs and structure of academic units, and capable of serving as an interdepartmental facility. Active, glass-enclosed ground floors were designed to serve as points of contact between the university campus, the neighborhood, the city, and the river.
The service spaces, located between Dobra Street and Akademicki Square, are designed flexibly, with the possibility of dividing them into smaller or larger rooms, opening onto the adjacent thoroughfare and allowing for the use of the open arcades along Dobra Street and Akademicki Square. The service spaces have the potential to house small shops, kiosks, etc., and can also be converted into a student cafeteria.
The landscape architecture design for the green roofs and the ecological compensation measures form a unified whole and are closely interlinked.
Ecological compensation primarily consists of extensive, biologically active green roof gardens, planted with perennials, grasses, and vines resistant to harsh conditions such as intense sunlight and periodic drought, as well as rich plantings of shrubs, perennials, and trees along the symbolic river. Ecological compensation also involves the redevelopment and landscaping with diverse vegetation of the Matysiak Radio Family Park, currently functioning as a square, stretching in front of the historic Łaźnia building, where new plantings of trees, shrubs, and perennials are planned to complete its composition.