An alternative version of the new wing of a building in Bielsko-Biała. Contemporary or classic?

In June this year, the OKO Interactive Fairy Tale and Animation Centre was established in Bielsko-Biała. It is part of the famous Drawing Film Studio. The project was created by the Nizio Design International studio. The main part of the facility is the historic Julius Roth villa, whose history dates back to 1888, combined with a modern building made of architectural concrete. An alternative, historicising version of the new building was presented by the office of Architektura Klasyczna.

The Studio Filmów Rysunkowych (Studio Filmów Rysunkowych) was founded in 1947 and has successfully created such cult characters as Bolek i Lolek (since 1963), Reksio (1967) or Professor Baltazar Gąbka in the merry company of the Wawel Dragon and Bartłomiej Bartolini coat of arms Green Parsley (1969). Some of the most eminent artists have collaborated with the institution, including: Zbigniew Lengren, Jan Szancer, Józef Szajna, Jan Brzechwa, Ludwik Jerzy Kern, Krzysztof Komeda or Krzysztof Penderecki.

Photo: Nizio Design International

According to the assumptions of the project’s authors from the Nizio Design International office, the object aims to create harmony between the past and the present. The minimalist body of the new part not only fits in with the historical buildings, but also enriches the urban space. The glazed link between the historic villa and the modern building provides an opportunity to admire the architectural contrasts and the surrounding green areas.

The concept appealed to the members of the competition jury in 2016. The experts appreciated the project for its “apt urban and architectural solutions, in particular the articulation of the corner of the urban space with a clearly defined entrance zone, the creation of an inner courtyard seamlessly transitioning into green recreational areas, the selection of appropriate proportions and scale of the new development in relation to the historic one.”

The OKO Interactive Fairy Tale and Animation Centre at present and in a visualisation by the Architektura Klasyczna studio

The design studio Architektura Klasyczna decided to completely change the appearance of the concrete building, giving it a classic look that alludes to the design of the neighbouring villa from the second half of the 19th century.According to the designers, things that are at once “large” and “simple” – as unnatural – easily confuse the brain, which is also the case with the OKO Interactive Fairy Tale and Animation Centre. Thus, the assumption that a ‘simple’ building erected next to a ‘complex’ building does not draw attention and always respects the context is not a correct one.

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Source: design studio Classic Architecture, Nizio Design International

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