AMIDST | multi-purpose educational building in Cracow

Project idea

The project involves the creation of a new, multifunctional educational building located near the historic barracks and royal palace in Cracow's Łobzów, which is part of the Cracow University of Technology's Faculty of Architecture.

The leading idea of the project was to create a space that would stimulate the imagination of viewers, who would be located between the historic palace and the designed form of the educational building. The creation of a kind of barrier in the form of an accordion "wall" made of perforated mesh was intended to create a mysterious atmosphere and encourage viewers to discover what lies behind the enclosure. A space has been crafted between the building, providing users with a place to enjoy AMIDST lush vegetation and preserved mature trees.

Project description

The structure situated behind the enclosure takes it's design from a simple geometric shape that directly realtes to the function behind it, consisting of a number of cuboidal blocks with different functions.

The functional programme of the building primarily includes a multi-purpose area with a mezzanine floor and folding grandstands capable of seating 250 people. On the ground floor, there is an open hall with a calm and relaxation green zone with seating and reading area. The functional programme of the +1 floor is largely devoted to a co-working area, In addition, a two-storey library and a project room have been designed. The building also has a library on level +2, together with a usable green roof. The underground storey has been allocated to an underground car park.

With ecological concerns in mind, a green roof has been engineered to retain and purify rainfall, thereby diminishing the volume of contaminated rainwater. Functioning as thermal insulation, it not only curtails energy consumption but also minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. The inclusion of photovoltaic panels on the roof further enables the generation of clean electricit. Ecological assumptions are completed by the use of energy-efficient electrical, HVAC solutions with recuperation, heat pumps, healthy finishing materials and furniture in the idea of 3R: "Reduce, reuse, and recycle".

Technical information

The designed building has four storeys, including three above ground and one underground. The form of the main building is finished with an architectural concrete facade, with additional frosted glass casing designed. The distinguishing element of the building is an accordion wall made of white perforated mesh.

Dimensions of the main body: 43 x 17.6 m.
Height: 10.15 m.

The structure of the building was made as reinforced concrete with steel elements of the facade system. External walls were designed with a structural part made of 25 cm thick reinforced concrete. In order to make the concrete facade, a ventilation slit with mounting anchors was used, on which the concrete panels were mounted.

A green inverted roof has been designed. The structure is supported on a 20 cm layer of wet-cast floor. The sloping layer with a 2% slope was made of a polystyrene wedge. Thermal insulation is provided by a 20 cm layer of extruded polystyrene, on which a geotextile fabric has been laid. Further layers are a 10 cm filter of round gravel and a 12 cm vegetation layer.