Wrocław’s Trzonolinowiec is one of the most unusual residential buildings in Poland and one of the few of its kind in the world. Now the unique building will undergo a comprehensive redevelopment. The city has decided to support the investment with a grant of PLN 882,000, which will make it possible to finance the necessary construction, restoration and conservation work, as the skyscraper is a monument. The decision to renovate was dictated by the deteriorating technical condition of the structure.
An experimental project from the 1960s.
Trzonolinowiec is located at 72-74 Tadeusza Kościuszki Street, close to the historic centre of Wrocław. The building was constructed between 1961 and 1967 to a design by Jacek Burzyński and Andrzej Skorupa. Their skyscraper was one of the boldest architectural experiments of post-war Poland. It was erected using a cable system with the ceilings suspended from a central reinforced concrete core. It is an example of a radical departure from traditional construction methods. The successive floors were prefabricated and hydraulically lifted to the appropriate height and then stabilised by the shaft, which was gradually lengthened. Installation and finishing materials were also innovative in the design. The building was fitted with an unusual ceiling-to-floor heating system and its façade was partly made of plastic. In 2023, Trzonolinowiec was placed on the register of historic buildings.
Deficiencies and redevelopment
Burzyński and Skorupa’s design was impressive in its grandeur, but did not fully take into account the peculiarities of a cable-stayed structure. The lack of precise calculations and the limited technological possibilities of the 1960s resulted in numerous errors during design and construction. Both the structural components and the interactions between them were underestimated. As a result, the first repairs were necessary just a few years after completion. Work in the 1970s stripped the building of its original character and significantly altered its appearance, including the original arrangement of windows and glazing offering panoramic views of the city.
The new modernisation project
After almost 60 years, the building is in need of another, this time a major refurbishment. As recent expert reports have shown, the building materials have deteriorated considerably, posing a danger to the residents of the block. The project for its redevelopment is being prepared by a consortium comprising the Szlachcic Architekci office and the Stalbet company. The project team is made up of architects Dorota Szlachcic and Maciej Dębski and constructor Dr Eng Jacek Dudkiewicz. The design work has been underway since November 2024, and in the meantime the conservation officer’s approval for the planned deviations from the original has already been obtained. The next step will be to obtain planning permission for the construction work. The modernisation aims to restore the 1960s form of Trzonolinowiec and at the same time adapt it to modern technical requirements and the needs of the residents. Among other things, the project involves the demolition and re-construction of the ceilings over the basement and the top floor, the strengthening of the trunk and the addition of new steel supports in the ground floor and basement. The works will also include the refurbishment of the supporting cables and the replacement of the façade covering, which currently contains harmful asbestos. The project also includes the return of original details such as windows that pivot relative to the vertical axis, and the adaptation of the building to the needs of people with disabilities through the installation of a lift serving all levels. A green roof is to be built over the top floor to symbolise the transformation of the building itself and its surroundings.
The block now and after renovation. Photo: Google Maps and Szlachcic Architekci
Unique on a global scale
Wrocław’s Trzonolinowiec is set to regain its former prominence as an innovative and wildly modern project. Its poor condition, however, resulted in residents being ordered to vacate the building threatening a structural disaster early last year. The upcoming modernisation will ensure that, instead of disappearing from the cityscape, the skyscraper will once again become one of its modernist symbols. The investment is expected to be completed by 2027.
Source: Szlachcic Architekci
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