Abstract:

The project reinterprets a historic World War II bunker located in Olszynka, Gdańsk, transforming it into a monastery combined with a social care home. The bunker, a unique example of advanced fortification engineering, serves as the symbolic and spatial core of the complex. Its raw, monumental form - resembling a chapel - has been preserved and integrated into the new structure, becoming a place of prayer and reflection on the site’s memory.

The architectural form derives directly from the bunker’s geometry and its relationship with the flat landscape. The newly designed buildings are constructed from lightweight materials, contrasting with the reinforced-concrete structure. This approach maintains formal coherence while clearly distinguishing the historic substance from the contemporary intervention.

The functional program combines elements of the Carthusian monastery and the beguinage tradition. From the Carthusian model comes a spatial layout. From the beguinage tradition, the project adopts the idea of an open community that unites spiritual life with charitable work, particularly care for the elderly and those in need.

The design promotes the idea of the “heroism of everyday life” - a simple existence devoted to serving others. The monastery with its care function becomes a refuge for residents and visitors seeking support, silence, and spiritual renewal, demonstrating how architecture can transform a military structure into a place of life, community, and memory.