In the very center of Krakow, on a plot of land between Biskupia Street and the Free Ukraine Square, a project has been created that consciously responds to the needs of the modern city and its inhabitants/residents. It is a concept by Szymon Plebańczyk, a student at the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, created under the guidance of Prof. Mariusz Twardowski and dry Agnieszka Żabicka. The new multi-family residential building is an attempt to combine functionality, aesthetics and accessibility in one clear architectural form.
landscaping, detail
© Szymon Plebańczyk
with urban precision
The design has been precisely matched to the existing urban layout. The building fills the space between the existing townhouses, adhering to the building lines and heights of neighboring buildings. On the plot, which previously served as a paid parking lot, not only a new residential building was planned, but also a public recreational space with greenery, a fountain, terraces and deck chairs.
The first floor of the building included three commercial establishments - a gastropub , a store and an exhibition hall - open to the outside, forming an active street frontage. Behind the building extends a semi-public space with a terrace, meadow, small architecture and walking paths.
with residents/residents in mind
The building provides for 43 apartments, spread over five repetitive floors and one set-back, sixth floor. The units range in layout from studios to three-room apartments. Each has been designed according to universal design principles - with accessibility and functionality in mind.
Twenty-five parking spaces are planned for the underground, including two adapted for people with disabilities. The entrances to the building and to the commercial premises are barrier-free, and the elevators and sanitary facilities meet the requirements of OZN.
The building's form is based on a clear division: the inner core accommodates residential and service functions, while the outer structure - a grid-like facade of vertical and horizontal elements - organizes the rhythm of windows and balconies, giving the mass a coherent, orderly appearance.
The building does not exude modernity, but it does not pretend to be a monument either. It respects the context - especially the neighboring YMCA building, which is under conservation protection - and consciously fits into the historic fabric of the city.
plans, elevation
© Szymon Plebańczyk
not only architecture
The project does not ignore environmental aspects either. The area around the building has been largely devoted to greenery, with ground interference limited mainly to the underground part. Such a decision promotes water retention, improves the microclimate and gives real value to the public space.
At the same time, the project does not close itself to the building's residents - the park patio behind it remains accessible to everyone. This is a conscious gesture of openness, rarely seen in development projects.
The building on Biskupia Street is not an accident or a compromise. It is a consistently designed building that combines many requirements: spatial, utilitarian, social. It shows that new architecture can not only not harm the city, but realistically enrich it - and without grand gestures.
