The Jerzy Kukuczka Himalayan Centre in Katowice is getting closer to realisation. Let us recall that the construction of the Jerzy Kukuczka Himalayan Centre in Katowice, initiated by Mayor Marcin Krupa, was positively received by residents, councillors of various political options and representatives of the Himalayan community.The winning work was selected on 14 December 2021 through a competition. The design by the studio KUMstudio Łukasz Skorek from Kraków was deemed the best. The city has just announced the tender for the construction.
Interested parties can submit bids until 10 April. The next step will be to analyse them. The successful contractor will have 22 months to complete the investment. The company Katowickie Inwestycje has become the substitute investor on behalf of the city.
“The centre is to commemorate Jerzy Kukuczka on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is to become a meeting place for mountain lovers and an educational space which is to inspire successive generations to push the limits of their capabilities, raise the bar and achieve the goals they have set, ” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice. – The location of this investment is not accidental – we have chosen Bogucice, at the junction of Markiefki and Katowicka streets, i.e. right next to the place where Jerzy Kukuczka was born and lived,” said 2021 Katowice Mayor Marcin Krupa.
The Himalayan Centre will largely present and commemorate the silhouette of Jerzy Kukuczka.“I am extremely happy that the idea announced by the mayor is starting to take shape. This type of centre should be created in our city, it is obvious when we look at the names creating the world history of Himalayanism connected with Katowice – it is Jerzy Kukuczka, of course, but also Krzysiek Wielicki, Rysiek Pawłowski or Artur Hajzer,” says Janusz Majer, a Polish Himalayan mountaineer and traveller, adding that a contribution to the realisation of the centre will be the donation of a private mountain library.
At the same time, the Centre will not resemble a classic museum – there will be an activity zone with, among other things, a climbing wall and a large auditorium where it will be possible to organise meetings with Himalayan mountaineers so that they can share their experiences, their mountaineering and infect future generations with their passion. It will also be a space to broadcast films related to the mountains.
“My mother created a memorial chamber in Istebna. When it was established, visitors compared it to the Messner museum, which is in a castle in Tirol. The guests repeatedly wondered why Jerzy Kukuczka did not have such a place to match his achievements. And here we are coming to the point where we will have such a balance. Looking at the project I can even say that the Katowice Centre will be more interesting’ – says Wojciech Kukuczka, Jerzy Kukuczka’s son.
The investment will be realised on the basis of the winning design made by KUMstudio Łukasz Skorek from Kraków. The first prize of PLN 100,000 and an invitation to participate in the negotiations of the contract for the preparation of the design documentation were awarded by the competition jury for the thorough approach to the subject of the competition.“The studio, in a difficult location, has achieved an interesting, individual and original architectural whole, which, without deforming the scale of the immediate surroundings, at the same time introduces a creative development of the inspiration of the detail forms of mountain landscapes, such as the overhanging rock walls, or the glassiness of ice seracs and greened rock ‘shelves’,” sums up the selection by Stanisław Podkański, architect of the city and chairman of the competition jury.
“We feel joy and great satisfaction at winning the competition. This theme was more difficult than we expected at the beginning. This was undoubtedly influenced by the competition conditions and the environment in which the building is to be integrated. However, our design is very strongly thought out, refined and detailed. We didn’t just want to throw a concept out of thin air, our goal was to win the competition and see this project through to completion,” said Łukasz Skorek of KUMstudio Łukasz Skorek in Kraków after the results were announced.
The Himalayan Centre will be built on a plot at the junction of Markiefki and Katowicka streets, next to the place where Jerzy Kukuczka was born and lived. The new building is to refer in its appearance to the views associated with mountain expeditions, and its shape is to include imitations of overhangs and rock shelves. The façade of the centre will be clad in clinker bricks in various shades, glazes and textures. In addition, gardens with plants typical of mountain nature will be created on the aforementioned shelves.
The exhibition part of the Himalayan Centre is to consist of four exhibitions, which will be devoted, among other things, to the history of exploration of the Himalayas and Karakorum and the first ascents of eight-thousanders, the history of Polish expeditions, as well as the main mountain ranges in Poland and the world – including Jerzy Kukuczka’s climbing transitions, the organisation of high-altitude expeditions or women’s Himalayanism. Visitors will be able to enter directly the flat where Kukuczka was born and lived. The centre also features interactive stations, animated screens, interactive projection walls or backlit display boards. There will also be display cabinets containing souvenirs and equipment of high-mountain expeditions.
The exhibition concept, which defines the exhibition, arrangement and equipment, is already complete. During the construction works, a tender will be announced for the technical documentation, construction, installation and launch of the exhibition. According to the preliminary schedule, the tender for the exhibition part will be announced in the first half of next year. Other attractions of the Centre will include an auditorium with film screenings, a library and a climbing wall.
About the architects:
KUMSTUDIO is an architectural office dedicated to unlimited architectural design, investment consultancy, interior design and execution, as well as original furniture and design. Our primary goal is to treat each client or investor and the related investment issue individually. We approach every topic with full commitment, regardless of its size or complexity, taking into account legal, economic and aesthetic considerations – this is what all architects are like with us. “All projects created in our studio have an individual and authorial character.” – says architect Łukasz Skorek
Łukasz Skorek, winner of the Europe 40 under 40 award for 2019, honouring European architects; The European Centre of Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design. Find out more about the studio here: https://kumstudio.com
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