MVRDV Proposes Respectful Renovation for 19th Century Heritage Building in Wrocław, Poland

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MVRDV has released details of their proposed renovation of a 19th-century listed building on Slodowa Island in Wroclaw, Poland. The “Concordia Hub” will see the retention of the existing façade, with the addition of a contemporary rear extension to “create a focal point” for the general public and visitors.

The site’s former use as a German artillery base in 1945 means almost all of the island’s structures were destroyed in the closing months of World War II. The Concordia Hub scheme seeks to preserve one of the only surviving heritage structures on the island, while transitioning the building into the modern age.

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Under the MVRDV proposal, developed in collaboration with local architect Q2 Studio, the “formal” side of the building will focus on retention and renovation, while a contrasting rear section will offer a transparent, modern, inviting presence overlooking an existing park.

Both ends of the building feature triple-height voids over a grand entrance space, with guests greeted by a café with exposed original brickwork at the “formal” end, and a food hall at the extension end featuring a large installation by local artists. The rest of the building is to be repurposed as co-working office spaces, with the top floor featuring an open-air terrace with sweeping city views.

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The extension, though contemporary, is respectful to the existing façade, continuing its roofline and window pattern. Both the old and new facades will be treated with concrete plaster, finished to create contrasting rough or polished patches. At ground floor, the façade will open up to the park via a glazed façade, emphasizing the public nature of the building while deconstructing the threshold between interior and exterior.

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The location of the Concordia Hub is truly special. It’s a privilege to renovate this historic building in one of Wrocław’s cultural and leisure hotspots. But while it’s important to recognize and respect the city’s existing heritage, our design is also about looking to the future and adding a new piece of well-appreciated architecture to Słodowa Island.
-Nathalie de Vries, principal and co-founder, MVRDV

News of the scheme comes after MVRDV completed “The Imprint,” a new 2-building art-entertainment complex in close proximity to Seoul’s Incheon Airport.

News via: MVRDV

Architect: MVRDV
Principal-in-Charge: Nathalie de Vries
Design Team: Fokke Moerel, Luca Moscelli, Matteo Ornato, Brygida Zawadzka, Bartosz Bochynski, Carolin Cremer, and Michal Bala
Visualization: Antonio Luca Coco, Pavlos Ventouris, Masoud Khodadadi
Local Architect: Q2 Studio (Maciej Janczyk, Marcin Kucharski)
Client: Concordia (Ewa Voelkel Krokowicz, CEO Concordia Design; Aleksandra Chachaj, external project manager)