A mural by Zuzanna Wollny has appeared on the wall of the Centrum Południe complex building. The work has an area of over 700 square metres and was made using paints that purify the air. It is the largest realisation of this type in Wrocław
The mural was designed by a well-known local artist, Zuzanna Wollny. It is 22 metres high and 33 metres wide. The painting draws attention to the biodiversity of Wrocław – the greenery and animals that live in the city. Skanska collaborated with Kolektyf studio to realise the painting
This project is about a dream: that our cities support biodiversity, that cars don’t run over hedgehogs, that wild boars don’t have to bushwhack in the garbage, and that birds don’t lose their habitats and crash through windows, that the river isn’t poisoned, and that the architecture fits in with the landscape. These are all challenges to which we must respond immediately, for our own good. It is time to face the fact that humans are not a separate, self-sufficient species, but part of a larger whole, ” says artist Zuzanna Wollny
The photocatalytic paints used to create the mural are a material in which a so-called photocatalytic reaction takes place. Thanks to the sun’s rays and the presence of oxygen and moisture, pollutants, car exhausts, sulphur dioxide or solvent vapours in the city air are transformed into harmless products such as carbon dioxide and water. The so-called anti-smog pavement, which is also located next to the South Centre, works on a similar principle
This type of paint shows properties against microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi. Unlike strong biocides, which can be harmful in themselves, this paint does not leave dead bacterial cells on the surface from which toxins are still being released for some time, but instead immediately breaks down both the bacteria themselves and the toxic substances they produce. In addition to these properties, the coloured wall is also intended to simply please the eyes
The team of painters and Kolektyf have, as always, done a great job transferring the design from paper to reality. Every detail is reproduced with care and fidelity. I have to admit that it is an amazing feeling to watch something that came from my hand take real shape in such a gigantic format. I hope that local residents will treat it as an integral part of their estate, an addition that enlivens rather than disrupts the space, ” adds Zuzanna Wollny
source: Skanska press materials
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