Poznan City Info Center
by Atelier Starzak Strebicki

The former Jesuit monastery in Poznań, Poland, was converted into its current form at the beginning of the 18th century. Its courtyard, functioning as a car parking lot, used to limit the inclusiveness of the public space significantly.

It is only since 2014 that the ensemble has been systematically made accessible to tourists and residents of the city again while preserving and using the historic architecture.

Owing to simple interventions accomplished during the first phase of the project, the City Hall’s courtyard was transformed into a public square with many faces, such as a green oasis, street cafe, or community center. The square has been furnished with a family of objects referring to different needs of groups of users.

The next phase concerning refurbishment of the so-called ‘Building C’, conducted by Atelier Starzak Strebicki, opening up the historic building and creating a meeting place for residents and tourists.

Building C is the eastern part of the northern wing of the Jesuit College, facing the quadrilateral courtyard.

A multifunctional public space is located on the ground floor and offices of the Poznań Local Tourist Organization (PLOT) on the first floor.

The first floor gained in spaciousness, improving significantly the working comfort.

Thanks to the removal of partitions, the ground floor will be both a place of activity of a small cafe and a space where social consultations will take place. Residents and tourists will be able to meet here, rest and use the building.

Through the removal of partition walls, the existing narrow and claustrophobic area of the ground floor has gained a more public and spatial character, which ensures multi-functionality.

All levels have been connected by a new common staircase, making it more pleasant and easier to move around the building.

Made of concrete poured on-site, which replaced the existing two separate stairs.

Natural materials used in the project correspond to the historical character of the building.

The corridor and common areas in the basement were finished with brick tiles, stoneware tiles were used in the arrangement of bathrooms and ground floor, while on the first floor it was decided to place an oak floor. The whole project is complemented by furniture covered with oak veneer.

The project provides access for people with disabilities to all public rooms and toilets and people coming to work on bicycles can benefit from changing rooms and showers.

The essential elements connecting the building with the courtyard are steel, openable windows that allow both spheres to penetrate, making the border between the outside and the inside more fluid and flexible.

The refurbishment of small and separated rooms of the new city info center resulted in creating a network of open, bright, and flexible spaces, being in strong relation with the courtyard, ensuring comfort to all the users.

The official opening of the building was scheduled for the 1st of May 2020, unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic made this impossible. From the middle of March, the building was used by the Poznań City Council as a crisis-center for managing the Coronavirus,

Author Atelier Starzak Strebicki
Team Jola Starzak, Dawid Strębicki, Bartosz Bisaga, Martyna Karnaś,
Michał Motyl, Salvatore Davide La Manna, Luis Gómez Soriano
Location Poznań, Poland
Year 2020
Client City Hall Poznan
Surface 505 sqm
Photography Danil Daneliuk
Courtyard Atelier Starzak Strebicki Kahawa Evergreen School Azatlyk Square Bang Nong Saeng Kindergarten VDC Naidi Community Hall

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