The building that housed the famous Olimpia cinema for decades is soon to disappear from the Poznań cityscape. The 1950s building will make way for a new development designed by the WXCA architectural studio. The new headquarters of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music will feature, among other things, a concert hall seating 400 people. Demolition of the historic cinema is set to begin in June this year, with the entire project expected to be completed by 2030.
The Olimpia Cinema on Grunwaldzka Street in Poznań
For many residents of Poznań, the Olimpia cinema is a place of priceless memories. However, before it was built, until 1945, the Art Nouveau villa of Nazary Kantorowicz stood at 22 Grunwaldzka Street (then Berliner Straße), serving as the headquarters of the General National Exhibition. The picturesque building fell victim to the Second World War and did not survive the bombing of the city. After the rubble was cleared, the new Olimpia building was erected on the site of the villa, operating continuously from 1957 to 2004. The building on the corner of Matejki and Grunwaldzka Streets has changed its functions, users and appearance over the course of its long history. In the 1970s, it underwent an extension to adapt it to the needs of a cinema operating on a larger scale. Over the years, it has housed, amongst other things, a community centre, a revue theatre, and subsequently private universities. Over time, the building ceased to be functional and required a comprehensive renovation, which was not carried out. It has been closed since September 2022 and its fate is now sealed.
Poor condition of the building
Initially, the developer considered renovating the existing property and adapting it to the university’s needs. However, the results of the expert assessments left no doubt as to the feasibility of modernisation. As the university’s rector, Prof. Hanna Kostrzewska, emphasised in 2024, the building that once housed the Olimpia cinema was in a very poor state of repair. The problems mainly concerned its overall structure, fire safety and a highly inefficient layout. Conditions were so poor that in some places there was a real danger to users, even during normal use of the premises. In view of this situation, it was decided to close the building and take it out of further use.
Olimpia Cinema – when will demolition begin?
Initial announcements suggested that the demolition of the Olimpia would begin as early as the end of 2024, but the schedule had to be revised. The deadline was postponed for organisational and formal reasons. As Michał Pawłowski from the Academy of Music explained, it was necessary to agree on the details with the City Roads Authority and the municipal services. The location at a busy junction requires more precise planning of the works and the implementation of appropriate safety measures for pedestrians and drivers. The demolition process itself, which is set to begin in early summer this year, will take several months and will be carried out in stages.
New headquarters for the Academy of Music in Poznań
In July 2024, the results of the architectural competition for the new building of the Academy of Music in Poznań, which is to be built on the site of the former Olimpia, were announced. The winning entry was submitted by the WXCA studio, represented by Maciej Wiewiór and Michał Lipiec. According to their design, the new building will have nine storeys, including two underground levels, and a floor area of approximately 11,000 square metres. The architects have proposed a rhythmically shaped structure divided into smaller segments of varying heights, intended to echo the scale of the surrounding 19th-century buildings. The façades will be light and subdued, geometric and inspired by the layout of the townhouses. The heart of the academy’s interior will be an opera and theatre hall for around 400 spectators, equipped with modern facilities. The building will also house teaching rooms, recording studios, spaces for vocal and acting students, and areas designated for events open to the public. The cost of the project is estimated at PLN 250 million, with completion expected in 2030.
Design: WXCA
WXCA design team: Szczepan Wroński, Michał Lipiec, Maciej Wewiór, Jakub Hlebowicz, Jakub Matela, Małgorzata Bonowicz, Maja Przewoźnik, Aneta Szwejk, Jakub Kołomański, Maciej Sachse, Oliwia Pakuszewska
Visualisations: Piotr Banak
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The MO Cultural Centre in 1969 and the abandoned, rebuilt building in 2023. Photo: Stary Poznań Then and Now/Tomasz Hejna
The former Olimpia and the future Academy of Music. Photo: WXCA and Google Maps
