Today, Gdynia celebrates its centenary as an independent city. In just a few decades, it has developed a globally unique architectural ensemble, in which modernism plays the most important role. To mark Gdynia’s birthday, we have created a subjective overview of 10 selected buildings that have had the greatest impact on the contemporary landscape of the “city of the sea and dreams”.
BGK “Bankowiec” housing complex, 27-31 3 Maja Street
Completed: 1930s
“Bankowiec” is a vast complex of three connected buildings with light-coloured façades and a clearly horizontal arrangement of windows. The structure has a compact, massive form, broken up by a semicircular superstructure visible from 3 Maja Street. The rounded corners and smooth plasterwork are reminiscent of the architecture of passenger ships. From the courtyard side, long rows of balconies and a simple rhythm of window openings are visible. The interiors have retained their representative staircases with decorative balustrades and small tile floors.
The building at 24 10 Lutego Street (City Hall)
completed:1935-1936
The building at 10 Lutego Street has a complex structure, resulting from its division into several interpenetrating segments of varying heights. From the main thoroughfare, the rows of windows and the smooth, light-coloured façade attract attention. The corner of the building is emphasised by a rounded, vertical element connecting all floors. The ground floor is finished with dark stone, which visually separates the ground floor from the upper floors. The whole building gives the impression of an orderly and disciplined composition.
Polish Sailor’s House, al. Jana Pawła II3
completion: 1936-1937
The Polish Sailor’s House stands out with its fragmented form visible from the waterfront and the axis of the South Pier. The central part is the highest and has a rounded façade, topped with a superstructure styled like a captain’s bridge. The lower side wings lead the composition horizontally, maintaining the proper proportions of the entire complex. The light colours of the façade and the regular arrangement of windows give the building a lightness. Later additions are visible from the marina side.
Emigration Museum, ul. Polska1
construction: 1932-1933, reconstruction: 2012-2015
The Emigration Museum building (formerly the Marine Station) has an elongated, impressive layout and a clearly structured façade enriched with small but numerous windows. The front of the building was designed symmetrically, with a vertical division of the façade and sculptural accents in the form of bas-relief eagles. From the waterfront side, the form of the building is more horizontal, which adds variety to the entire complex of the former station. The scale and economy of detail give the design an official, representative expression. The interior of the former check-in hall has retained its spacious character and historic floor of small tiles.
Gdynia Główna Railway Station, Konstytucji Square
completed: 1950s
Gdynia Główna Railway Station was built as a modernist structure referring to the national style. After its reconstruction in the 1950s, it became an extensive complex referring to socialist realism, designed to handle intensive passenger traffic. The front façade is based on an axial composition and limited but distinct details. The most important element of the interior is the spacious main hall with mosaics, illuminated by high glazing. The entire complex is a solid and functional example of post-war architecture, although the former station is a great and irreplaceable loss for the city.
Cotton House in Gdynia, 10 Lutego Street
completed: 1930s
The Cotton House is a multi-storey building consisting of several structures with a fairly simple façade layout divided by grids and devoid of major decorations. The building is characterised by rows of windows, arcades and prominent cornices, emphasising its functional nature. The ground floor is distinguished by larger glazing, originally intended for commercial purposes. The Cotton House fits in well with the interwar downtown architecture of Gdynia, being one of its most impressive buildings.
Market Hall, known as the Arched Hall, Wójta Radtkego Street
completed: 1930s
The Market Hall has an elongated shape, and its appearance is dominated by a characteristic arched roof. The reinforced concrete structure is also visible inside, where it creates a large space without intermediate supports. The façades are divided by regularly spaced large windows, which provide natural light for traders and customers. The scale of the building was adapted to this function. The building has retained its original layout and still serves as a municipal market hall.
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Armii Krajowej Street
Completed: mid-20th century
The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands out in the panorama of Gdynia with its massive, compact form visible from distant corners of the city. The facades are based on simple planes, with some geometric details and decorations. The tall, slender tower dominates the whole and gives it a sacred elegance. The interior feels bright and spacious, and the colourful stained glass windows add a touch of mysticism. It is one of the most original and important churches in the city.
St. Anthony of Padua Church, Ujejskiego Street
completed: 1960s
The Church of St. Anthony of Padua was designed as a tranquil combination of simple architectural forms made of brick. They are dominated by two soaring domes rising from a massive tower. The facades of the temple are kept in subdued colours of concrete and rusty red, and the arrangement of vertical windows introduces architectural order and a sense of preserved harmony. The building does not overwhelm the neighbourhood and fits well into the scale of the district. It is one of the newer churches in Gdynia.
Garrison Church, Śmidowicza Street
Completed: 1930s
The garrison church has a compact, rather squat composition and a clearly accentuated main entrance. On either side of it are huge images of anchors, which obviously refer to the port character of the city. The side walls and front of the temple are filled with rows of tall, narrow windows, separated by strips of dark brick. This original and unusual architecture refers to the modernist principles of clarity and restraint.
The history of modernist Gdynia
The origins of modern Gdynia date back to the 1920s. It was then that a small fishing village was chosen as the site for the construction of a new port for the reborn Republic of Poland. In 1921, work began on the plans. The urban concept designed by Roman Feliński and Adam Kuncewicz designated clear zones for residential, administrative, industrial and recreational development. Gdynia’s dynamic development took place between 1921 and 1939, when the number of inhabitants increased from 1,268 to around 120,000. During this period, the main part of the city centre was built, including tenement houses, public buildings and port infrastructure. World War II did not cause significant damage to the young city, and after 1945, Gdynia retained its original spatial layout. Post-war expansion referred to earlier plans from the 1920s, which allowed for the preservation of a coherent image of the modernist centre, clearly visible and admired around the world today.
Gdynia city centre in the early 1930s and today. Source: Gdynia City Museum and Google Maps
Source:gdynia.pl
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