The castle in Stobnica is the building that has caused the most controversy in the country in recent years. The project is being built in a Natura 2000 area, on the edge of what is known as the Notecka Forest, which has received a lot of media coverage and criticism. Attempts have been made by services and politicians to stop the construction, with poor results. Work on the castle is now in its final stages and everything seems to indicate that the youngest building of its kind in Poland, and perhaps even in Europe, will soon welcome its first tenants. The multifamily colossus has 15 overground storeys and is topped by a tower several dozen metres high.
The castle, or rather a residential building imitating a castle, was built in the village of Stobnica in Wielkopolska on the initiative of the well-known company D.J.T. from Poznań. The author of the project is architect Waldemar Szeszuła. With its towers and towers, the edifice towers over the forest and the reservoir. It is said to stand on an island, but in fact the castle in Stobnica is an island in itself.
The architect of the whole establishment says it is meant to be a historic town with streets, courtyards and alleys. According to him, the project was “difficult and demanding”. It took a total of five years to develop, and at times some 30 designers were involved. “The design did not contain any repetitive elements. It is difficult to compare it with contemporary standard designs for residential, office and other buildings. It contains a lot of detailed detailing, much of it based on stonework, requiring detailed drawings. All this to result in an object that imitates or is a form of a real medieval castle as closely as possible,” says architect Waldemar Szeszuła.
The castle is more than 70 metres high and about 200 metres long. Each of the 15 floors is equal to two standard floors in a typical residential building. As we can read on the stobnica.com website, “this unusual building as well as the area around it is the result of the work of a group of people fascinated by castle architecture, who created a residential building with such unusual architecture in modern times. A whole body of water surrounding the Castle with a natural shoreline and numerous islands has also been created.” The target is to house 46 units, which can accommodate almost a hundred people, served by a staff of ten. Construction work on the exterior of the building is nearing completion, with stone and plaster already covering almost the entire facade. A 2.2 km long, toll-paying Forest Educational Trail with twelve educational boards leading around the structure and pond opened in 2023.
The Stobnica castle became famous in 2018, when eco-activists started sharing photos online of the mysterious structure being built in the forest. The rising castle created a huge impression, but also a lot of controversy. The CBA, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection and the public prosecutor’s office then took up the case. An investigation was launched into official decisions related to its construction.
Currently, a trial on the controversial investment is taking place before the Oborniki District Court. The bench of defendants is facing charges of, among other things, the authentication of untrue documents and environmentally hazardous activities. According to the prosecution, there was falsification of documents and damage to the environment. None of the defendants admit to the charges and the atmosphere surrounding the case is tense.
Photos: Bukowsky Studio(facebook, instagram) – Lukasz Bukowski: filmmaker, photographer by passion, creator of many documentaries, including “Jakubek- the man who was born too early” by Maciej Glabus.
Source: noizz.pl, stobnica.com, gloswielkopolski.pl
Read also: Architecture | Hotel | Architecture in Poland | Interesting facts | Villas and residences
