The reconstruction of the canteen of the Peace Steelworks was carried out according to a design by architects from the MAŁECCY design studio. Their task was to adapt the former social building that was part of the steelworks to the new needs. A new investor from the banking sector decided to set up its new office in this location.
Ruda Śląska, located 15 minutes from the centre of Katowice, is one of the central centres of the Upper Silesian conurbation. One of its districts, Nowy Bytom, dominated by the Huta ,,Pokój” steelworks, despite being considered the city centre, is a district in need of functional and spatial transformation, in particular the post-industrial areas around the steelworks. Various attempts are therefore being made to revitalise this part of the city, including our proposed implementation of a new quality of architecture.
In the course of the design work, we faced the challenge of revitalising not only the post-industrial building, but also the areas around it. The harsh industrial neighbourhood conditioned the design decisions adopted. The search for colour references was a key element in the design of the façade, but the most important was the appropriate selection of greenery around the building. Tall grasses of varying colours and typologies have softened the post-industrial area, giving it a lightness and creating pleasant spaces around the building. The black bricks appearing on the façade have become a backdrop, so to speak, for the lush vegetation, silently observing the rebirth of life around it.
Environmental issues and the use of sustainable design solutions were an equally important element of the project. A number of environmentally friendly solutions were designed into the project, including a grey water recovery system, an oil-like substance separator in the car park and photovoltaic panels on the roof. It was also possible to use existing materials that were originally intended to be disposed of, but were reused, for example in the form of paving for selected car parks.
The building has become a landmark in Ruda Śląska – the quality of the materials used, the simple, clear idea and the good quality of the user- and resident-friendly space have a direct impact on the ongoing development and transformation of the city.
Location: Ruda Śląska, Poland
Architects: MAŁECCY biuro projektowe / https://maleccy.com/
Project co-authors: Joanna Małecka, Wojciech Małecki, Aleksandra Wojtyna, Mateusz Majerczyk
Investor: ING Bank Śląski
Project: 2020
Implementation: 2021
Photographs: Bartek Barczyk,
About the architects
MAŁECCY design office has been on the market since 1997. Joanna and Wojciech Małecki are one of the most interesting architectural duos of recent years. They are co-authors of the world’s best building with the use of ceramics – the headquarters of WRiTV in Katowice, as well as the award-winning residential building Nowy Weron in Ruda Śląska, which is a contemporary vision of the Silesian “familok”. For years, the office has drawn inspiration from the Silesian tradition in its projects, tackling the region’s achievements as well as its problems, treating them as design challenges
The multi-discipline design team responds to the needs of individual and public clients, providing services in the field of designing cubature objects, urban spaces and interiors realised both at home and abroad. The wide range of clients includes : ECHO Investment S.A., TDJ Estate, Waryński SA, UM. Włocławek, Millenium Inwestycje Sp z o.o., Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, City of Warsaw, University of Silesia, Silesian University of Technology, MGSM Perspektywa, , City of Rybnik, Intermarche Polska, Sony Center, Rossmann Sp. z o.o., ING Bank Śląski, Eurobank S.A., Alior Bank S.A., BP Polska Sp. z o.o., Orlen S.A., and a wide range of institutional and private investors
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Office | Office building | Katowice | Bytom | Metamorphosis | Interiors | Renovation | whiteMAD on Instagram
