Robert Konieczny’s first project in Poznań will be constructed near the Citadel, one of Poznań’s best known and largest parks. The Aura apartment building, as befits Robert Konieczny, will be something unique, out of the ordinary. What is more, the investor is Piotr Voelkel, an entrepreneur from the Wielkopolska region, who is known for his passion for art and culture, and who is also known to the inhabitants of Poznań for his Bałtyk skyscraper, which has become a permanent feature of the city’s skyline. The Konieczny and Veolkel duo gives hope that Poznań will be enriched by another great piece of architecture!
The Aura apartment building like a vertical garden
Aura is being built in Winogrady on a plot adjacent to the grounds of the Posnania Sports Club, on Słowiańska Street in Poznań. The apartment building will be an elongated block that has taken the shape of an arch. The whole has been literally submerged in greenery. According to the information given to us, the building is to be covered with as many as 140,000 plants. This makes it not only the first project by Robert Konieczny in Poznań, but also the first vertical garden in the Wielkopolska region. The building is to contain 55 flats. Their size is to start from 34 sq m, but there will also be 160 sq m, two-storey flats. There will also be an intimate spa on the premises.
As expected, there will be no shortage of art in the interiors. To design the interiors, the investor invited Alicja Biała, a well-known artist in Poznań, the author of the colourful “Totems” standing between the Sheraton Hotel and the Baltic Sea. For Aura, the artist designed an original ceramic plant sculpture-lamp in the lobby space and a relief referring to the relationship between man and nature. The hanging sculpture-lamp and the relief will be covered with glazes specially created by the artist.
“The main inspiration for the sculptural forms were plants present locally in Greater Poland, sometimes threatened by habitat degradation and climate change. In my case, these small plants are scaled up, proud, noticeable and nevertheless hopeful. The search for my own glazes emerged from the need to be self-sufficient and to make art from materials I know and understand. I will prepare the glazes from soil taken from various places in Greater Poland, including Aura’s building site. The soil, with its diverse mineral content, will determine the colour of the glazes on the sculptures,” – says artist Alicja Biała.
Aura is an innovative project not only because of the building’s architecture. The developer has also placed a strong emphasis on the comfort of the flat owners. Although the building is intimate, it has as many as five entrances with lifts. The aim of this is convenience and intimacy. There are doors to up to four flats on each floor. The standard is particularly noteworthy due to the huge windows in aluminium, which are rarely found in developers’ offers due to their price. The flats also have underfloor heating and video intercoms with smartphone connectivity. Many units have as many as two balconies planned and enjoy light from two sides of the world – south and north. On the south side, spacious and sunny living areas with beautiful views of the city skyline and Citadel Park have been designed. On the north side, however, mainly bedrooms have been located. A total of only 55 flats have been designed in the Aura building, so the investment has an intimate and boutique character. The areas of the available flats start from 34 sq m, but within the investment customers can also purchase units of 70 sq m and even 160 sq m two-level flats with four balconies and excellent views. This is a proposal for the most demanding investors.
Where did the idea come from to design larger units within the structure of an aparthotel building? Regardless of whether the flat in Aura is intended for long-term or short-term rental, or whether the owner decides to keep it for themselves, the idea behind the design was to create a high level of comfort provided by the comfortable space of the flats and the contact with nature.
Robert Konieczny’s architecture and excellent location make the purchase of a flat in Aura an interesting alternative to investing in traditional flats. Particularly as all units are sold with 23% VAT which predisposes them to company purchases. The investor makes no secret of the fact that the prices of the flats in Aura are above the market average for Poznań, but they are a reflection of the real values represented by the investment; world-class architecture, a high standard of finish and an excellent location. The surroundings of Poznan’s Citadel have for years been considered the most prestigious in terms of property location.
An additional asset of the investment are the common areas finished with extraordinary reverence, designed by the renowned Modelin design team. The interiors of Aura will feature a representative lobby with a professional concierge. It will be combined with an intimate spa for the exclusive use of the Owners and their guests. The private sauna available there will guarantee the possibility of relaxation in intimate conditions. The staircase spaces, in turn, will feature works by Oskar Zięta.
Around the building, the developer has also designed a monitored underground garage hall, a handyman’s room and a bicycle room. Plenty of greenery will be planted around the building, and the landscape will be enriched by a picturesque pond, which will also serve as a retention basin. There will also be an interestingly designed playground for children in the Aura area.
Robert Konieczny’s first project in Poznań
The main assumption of architect Robert Konieczny was to interfere minimally with the existing ecosystem and if possible to enrich it. Hence the idea that the body of the building should grow out of the existing pile of land and in a way be an extension of it, creating a green hill. The greenery of the surroundings will blend in with the façade of Aura, the vegetation will be introduced up to the roof.
Research and technological developments over the years, allow greenery and many types of plants to be introduced into the façade effectively and safely. This gives users the joy of communing with nature and comfort – cool in summer and warm in winter and flowers at their fingertips.
“If we provide enough greenery, in an accessible form, as we do with Aura, we have the chance to permanently change the face of cities. Instead of heat islands, we can create buildings that regulate humidity and air temperature both inside and in their immediate surroundings. Such architecture contributes to the aesthetics of the area and has a real impact on living conditions through a beneficial microclimate,” – says Robert Konieczny, founder of the architectural studio KWK Promes and author of the project.
140,000 plants will grow on a special structure creating a vertical garden on the façade. An air cushion of sorts will be created between the structure and the plastered wall, which will act as a natural insulator, protecting above all against the heating of the building during hot weather. Plants will be watered by an automatic system using 90 per cent of the retention, snowmelt and rainwater collected on the plot. Automation will minimise traditional maintenance by human hand.
This will be the first such facility in Poland. Because of its innovation, scientists from the Poznań University of Technology and the University of Life Sciences are heavily involved in the design process. Robert Konieczny’s idea for the site was selected through an architectural competition. The investor was convinced by the vision of introducing additional greenery into the plot.
“I have been observing what Robert Konieczny designs and the way he thinks for a long time. I was looking for a solution that would reconcile many expectations here: comfort of future users, harmony with the green, recreational surroundings, responsibility for the state of the planet, energy efficiency and, as a result, reduction of operating costs, unique architecture that can be an icon of the city and is a work of art. For such tasks, you need a partner who has similar values and understands the goals set, and who has talent and momentum,” – says investor Piotr Voelkel.
source: Press material / www.apartamentyaura.com
visualisations: Robert Konieczny / KWK Promes / https://www.kwkpromes.pl/
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Poznań | Places, Squares, Parks | Apartment | Villas and residences | KWK PROMES | Ecology
