Project
| Location: | Lodz Sienkiewicza 21 |
| Client: | University of Lodz |
| Floor space: | 4 000 m2 |
| Design: | 2022 / 2023 Preliminary design first phase |
The project of adaptation of a historic tenement house, located in an exceptional location, in the vicinity of the Łódź Fabryczna Railway Station and the New Centre of Łódź, for the planned Science and Arts Centre of the University of Łódź.
The architectural identity of the building has been preserved, so there is a visible reference to the history of the building, both to the nineteenth-century roots of the tenement, its location in the former Mayer Passage, and to the activities of the former Pewex shop, whose advertisement Butterfly is a recognisable mural in Łódź.
The starting point was to define the location of the main entrance to the building, which as a former residential building had 2 narrow entrances to the staircases and a gate clearance for vehicles.
By eliminating the external space in front of the main entrance, an attractive, two-storey, arcade was created, accessible from Sienkiewicza Street through the former entrance and 3 new doorways in place of the former windows and through a wide glass doorway - accessible from the designed Butterfly Square. The arcade is a natural widening of the narrow pavement of Sienkiewicza Street in front of the main entrance to the building.
A patio was located in the centre, covered by a glass roof with an original shape referring to the top of the courtyard wall on the side of the main staircase. On the garden side, the patio was enclosed by a glass block of viewing platforms. This created a central multifunctional communal space with the possibility of 'experiencing' it from different sides and levels.
Along its northern edge, balconies were designed to serve as circulation areas for the rooms in the narrow annexe. The patio is a kind of communication hub for all floors. On the ground floor, it has a direct connection with the entrance hall, main staircase, exhibition department, shop, café, exits to the garden, staircase to the exhibition level one floor above, and stairs to the gallery.
Five main functional zones have been designed, oriented around a central glazed patio with complementary functions.
The ground floor will house the central part of the exhibition and display zone with associated functions, a representative hall, a reception area and a cloakroom. A café and the UŁ shop are also located on this floor. The exhibition zone continues into the basement of the building, creating an attractive labyrinth.
The first floor was designed almost entirely as an exhibition zone with a walkway around a glazed patio. It also contains offices that complement this function.
The functions of floors 2 and 3 follow the same principle. In the southern annex, there is a section with six flats and a large communal kitchen; in the northern annex, there is an office area for the building's administration. In the front building of the facility there is an office and educational area with offices and spaces for coworking and educational activities that can be easily adapted to the needs of the building's users.
The architectural identity of the building has been preserved, so there is a visible reference to the history of the building, both to the nineteenth-century roots of the tenement, its location in the former Mayer Passage, and to the activities of the former Pewex shop, whose advertisement Butterfly is a recognisable mural in Łódź.
The starting point was to define the location of the main entrance to the building, which as a former residential building had 2 narrow entrances to the staircases and a gate clearance for vehicles.
By eliminating the external space in front of the main entrance, an attractive, two-storey, arcade was created, accessible from Sienkiewicza Street through the former entrance and 3 new doorways in place of the former windows and through a wide glass doorway - accessible from the designed Butterfly Square. The arcade is a natural widening of the narrow pavement of Sienkiewicza Street in front of the main entrance to the building.
A patio was located in the centre, covered by a glass roof with an original shape referring to the top of the courtyard wall on the side of the main staircase. On the garden side, the patio was enclosed by a glass block of viewing platforms. This created a central multifunctional communal space with the possibility of 'experiencing' it from different sides and levels.
Along its northern edge, balconies were designed to serve as circulation areas for the rooms in the narrow annexe. The patio is a kind of communication hub for all floors. On the ground floor, it has a direct connection with the entrance hall, main staircase, exhibition department, shop, café, exits to the garden, staircase to the exhibition level one floor above, and stairs to the gallery.
Five main functional zones have been designed, oriented around a central glazed patio with complementary functions.
The ground floor will house the central part of the exhibition and display zone with associated functions, a representative hall, a reception area and a cloakroom. A café and the UŁ shop are also located on this floor. The exhibition zone continues into the basement of the building, creating an attractive labyrinth.
The first floor was designed almost entirely as an exhibition zone with a walkway around a glazed patio. It also contains offices that complement this function.
The functions of floors 2 and 3 follow the same principle. In the southern annex, there is a section with six flats and a large communal kitchen; in the northern annex, there is an office area for the building's administration. In the front building of the facility there is an office and educational area with offices and spaces for coworking and educational activities that can be easily adapted to the needs of the building's users.
