Wrocław’s Okrąglak has been given a new lease of life. This icon of modernism is now the Chleboteka

The Okrąglak building in Wrocław, on Kościuszki Square, has been given a new lease of life. The distinctive pavilion, which has been an icon of the city centre for several decades, has been converted into a new Chleboteka outlet. The interior design draws on the building’s modernist architecture, whilst its surroundings now feature additional space for relaxation.

Wrocław’s ‘Okrąglak’ returns to everyday city life

There are few buildings in Wrocław so closely linked to everyday city life as the Okrąglak on Kościuszki Square. Over almost 90 years, its users, functions and surroundings have changed, yet the pavilion itself survived even the turmoil of the war. For many residents, it has remained a place associated with personal memories.

The 1934 pavilion survived the war

Okrąglak appeared on what was then known as Tauentzienplatz in early June 1934. The small pavilion was designed by Paul Heim, an architect also associated with the development of Wrocław’s Sępolno district. Before the Second World War, the Okrąglak housed a tourist information centre where visitors could buy guidebooks, airline tickets and book theatre tickets. During the siege of Festung Breslau in 1945, the building survived, even though a significant part of the buildings around the square had been destroyed. After the war, it served successively as a bookshop, a toy shop, a ‘Ruch’ kiosk and a tobacconist’s. In 2015, the Etno Cafe operated here, and a decade later a new chapter in the pavilion’s history began, this time with Chleboteka as the tenant.

Two Wrocław-based brands are behind the building’s new incarnation: Chleboteka and CUDO. Today, the small premises house a bakery serving coffee, fresh bread and sweet treats. A key aim of the project was to open up the interior towards Kościuszki Square. Large windows blur the visual boundary between the premises and the public space, whilst a circular bench running around the pavilion allows visitors to sit outside it as well.

Modernism in the Chleboteka interior

The designers treated the shape of the ‘Okrąglak’ as a starting point for the interior design. The motif of the arch and the circle is repeated in the counter, the furniture, the ceiling and the details of the fittings. In addition, materials associated with 20th-century architecture have been incorporated here: veneer, ornamental glass, steel and flooring inspired by patterns found in historic interiors, including Warsaw’s ‘gorseciki’ and ‘czeczota’ designs. The warm colour scheme echoes Chleboteka’s brand identity and the products available on the premises. Lighting also plays a significant role. The warm light brings out the colour of the bread and baked goods, whilst also lending the compact interior a more intimate atmosphere. The ventilation and air-conditioning systems are concealed within a circular suspended ceiling, the shape of which is derived from the pavilion’s geometry.

Wrocław’s Okrąglak: small floor space, high demands

One of the biggest challenges for the architects was the size of the premises. Within the limited space, they had to make room for sales, bread displays, coffee preparation, back-of-house facilities, a storeroom and staff rooms. The centrepiece is the bakery counter, above which an additional bread display has been installed. The changes also extended to the exterior of Okrąglak – its colour scheme has been refreshed. As the building is situated within a conservation area, work on its appearance required consultation with the conservation officer and the preparation of the relevant documentation.

“It’s the little heart of Wrocław”

For the investor, the new Chleboteka also holds special significance for sentimental reasons. As he emphasises, from the very beginning of the brand’s operations, Okrąglak was a place where potential for another outlet was recognised.

“Okrąglak holds extraordinary sentimental significance for every resident of Wrocław. Whomever we speak to about this building, they share their memories of the place. From the very beginning of Chleboteka, we knew this would be the perfect location for our outlet. […]
Okrąglak is often described as the little heart of Wrocław. Now that we’ve opened a Chleboteka there, we can confirm this one hundred per cent.”

The opening has another significance for the brand. Chleboteka is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and the Okrąglak outlet is its tenth branch. The small pavilion has thus been given a new purpose that makes the most of its scale and form, whilst restoring its everyday presence in the life of Kościuszki Square.

Source: Chleboteka, CUDO

Photos: Migdał Studio

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