Reconstruction – Institute’s new showcase
The overarching assumption of the reconstruction is to restore the building its splendor and transform it into a functional showcase of the Institute. The harmoniously composed facade stands out from the frontage of Sienna Street with its calm rhythm and elegance, at the same time keeping the main elements of the building’s original design: protruding avant-corps and brick face of the walls. The superstructure was withdrawn in relation to the facade to match the frontage height. An independent entrance on the west side leads to the office floors. A clear layout of rooms leads from the corridor ending with staircases. The ground floor constitutes an open, bright space with an entrance arcade, leading from Sienna Street straight to the new space, i.e. a multifunctional and conference room.
Extension – new multifunctional space
The extension pavilion was designed to offer a new quality to the Pilecki Institute. It is a flexible conference and exhibition venue independent of the existing building. The pavilion height is adjusted to the upper elevation of buildings on the neighboring plot – Żelazna 41. It is connected to the existing building through a glass longitudinal connector. When looking for a roof and ceiling form for the extension, the inspiration came from the neighboring historic tenement houses with their layout typical for pre-war Warsaw. We drew from the spirit of the buildings destroyed during the war, represented by two neighboring tenement houses that survived till today. As a result, the multi-purpose room was covered with a characteristic crystal vault formed by 8 skylights. The variously shaped ceiling provides favorable acoustic parameters, increases the room cubature and introduces an emotional play of light. On the semantic level, the arrangement of the vault – inverted pre-war Warsaw roofs – is a tribute to the history of the city. Looking towards the ceiling of the hall, the diverse geometry creates periscopes through which one can observe a different landscape – the world of nature against the blue sky.
