The redevelopment of a 1930s Silesian townhouse in the centre of Katowice’s Podlesie district involves a comprehensive modernisation of the existing building. The investors, residents of Podlesie, when acquiring the almost 100-year-old property, wanted to preserve its historic Silesian character, while adapting the building to contemporary utility and aesthetic standards. The redevelopment project was entrusted to the Mikołów-based studio GIGAarchitekci Sp. z o.o.
The tenement house, erected in 1932, originally had a residential function with a service ground floor, where there was a commercial premises (a vegetable shop), accessible directly from the street. To the rear of the building were outbuildings such as an outbuilding and a barn, and the plot was for a long time undeveloped and overgrown with tall grasses. One of the most difficult tasks was to develop the outbuildings at the back of the building, which were in a poor state of repair. After analysis with the investors, the designers decided to clear the area of unnecessary buildings and adapt the surviving structures for new residential purposes. This provided the residents with an additional recreational space directly connected to the garden and a covered terrace, making use of the brick walls of the former barn.
The designers and investors set themselves the goal of preserving the existing front façade as closely as possible. The brick façade will be restored and the window layout will be preserved. The new window joinery will be stylistically related to the original, and the glazing will be enlarged, maintaining the existing divisions and cornice line. It is also planned to replace the tenement’s pitched roof and insulate the side and rear elevations, which will improve the comfort of the building.
The building will be divided into two main zones: services on the ground floor and residential on the upper floors. The ground floor will be tidied up and highlighted with a colour finish, and the service area will be adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The entrance to the residential area will be located in place of the existing doorway on the east elevation, and access to the upper floors will be possible from the existing staircase, lit by a vertical fanlight.
The colour scheme of the building will be kept in light, natural colours, with a contrasting brick front façade and ‘corten’ accents visible on balconies, terraces and canopies. Elements such as the fence plinth and landscaping will be constructed of brick in a tile bond, referencing the representative front elevation. The existing brick building at the eastern boundary of the site will be converted into a utility room.
The redevelopment of the Silesian townhouse is an excellent example of how the historic character of a building can be preserved while adapting it to modern requirements. The project harmoniously combines Silesian history with modern functional solutions, creating a coherent and comfortable place to live and run a service business. Such initiatives improve the appearance of Katowice’s districts, creating aesthetically pleasing living spaces.
Project: GIGAarchitekci – www.gigaarchitekci.pl
Location: Katowice – Podlesie
Design team: Artur Garbula, Magdalena Kaiser, Karolina Kocyła, Jonasz Matuszczyk, Grzegorz Górnikiewicz
Year: 2024
Area: 390 sq m
Photos | visualisations: GIGAarchitekci
Read also: Achitektura w Polsce | Single-family house | Metamorfoza | Tenement house | Katowice | Brick
