Contextual Sensitivity
The project is located in Warsaw directly opposite to a landmark historical park that is home to one of the city’s most prestigious listed palaces – with the background to the project is formed by a new low rise residential district that has been designed as a totally new part of town. Paramount in the design process was the necessity to create a development that understood and responded to the sensitivity of the context.
The brief asked for a large retail centre with associated parking and extensive delivery areas. Considering that the plots’ other neighbours was upmarket residential accommodation the project would be challenging as the plot had no ‘back’ elevation and every side was a highly visible front façade.
The Magic of Interconnectivity
Our first step was to think of the retail centre as a series of smaller but interconnected retail pavilions. Each pavilion would be smaller in scale than the neighboring buildings so that we weren’t introducing oversize volumes in the area and thereby changing the urban density. We deliberately steered the design away from the more traditional hermetically sealed mall approach towards a more urban solution with open-air and enclosed spaces that would provide activity not only inside the building but enhance the outdoor urban realm. It was important that it wasn’t an internally focused building and that it had a positive impact on the wider area.
The final concept had five separate 2 storey retail pavilions with bridges connecting the upper levels. Additionally two-story office volumes were located above the retail. The whole composition was conceived to look and function like a small village with organic circulation routes, numerous mini public plazas and event spaces that could have organized or spontaneous events take place.
A Village of City Buildings
Externally the development was a composition of small volumes to look like a piece of city rather than one large mixed-use building. A majority of the parking and all the delivery areas were located in a basement beneath the retail footprint. Numerous pedestrian arrival points from the basement parking around the retail centre ensured that all areas of the retail would be activated. The linking bridges between the buildings were designed to ensure that the shoppers were aware of moving from one building to another whilst they traversed the complex. Each building was designed to have its own unique interior theme to aid with navigation as well as ease orientation – and to provide shoppers with rich multimedia experience.
As part of it’s commitment to innovation and industry leadership, AD-Studio has contributed hugely to expert discourse at various real estate and sector conferences and trade events throughout 2023. The architectural practice’s active participation in conferences worldwide underscores its dedication to contributing knowledge and expertise to the architectural and real estate sectors – key amongst ...
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