The District Court in Gdynia at 5 Constitution Square is one of the city's most recognizable buildings. The modernist block is about to undergo changes. AA Architectural Studio is responsible for the expansion project.
The iconic historic building, with its characteristic rounded body, is located in an important location - opposite the Central Railway Station in Gdynia. It was erected in 1936 in the spirit of modernism.
modernist edifice will expand
The ongoing investment is the next stage of the expansion, aimed at adapting the existing complex to the court's current accommodation needs and construction requirements, reports Agata Grzegorczyk, spokeswoman for the City Hall of Gdynia. - Until now, the complex consisted of two separate buildings: Building A at 5 Constitution Square and 57 Jana z Kolna St. and Building B at 55 Jana z Kolna St. Both buildings date from the second half of the 1930s.
The architectural design for the expansion was prepared by the AA Architectural Studio from Gdansk. The general contractor, Warbud, has 36 months to complete the work. In the first stage of the work, which is nearing completion, Building B was rebuilt. The historic shape of the entrance area and facade was restored. The next stage involves the demolition of a two-story building located deep inside the plot and the construction in its place of a new wing, with 8 floors, including 2 underground.
The complex of the District Court in Gdynia before the expansion, behind Building B with a mural can be seen a two-story building covered with a sloping roof, which will be replaced with a new development
© AA Architectural Studio
- The buildings and the area are covered by various forms of conservation protection, so at each stage of the project and implementation the investment required arrangements with the Provincial and Municipal Conservator of Monuments, explains Andrzej Blazko of the AA studio.
Combining the new with the old
The architects were keen to clearly distinguish the modern parts of the building from the historic fabric of the building, while referring to it in proportions and divisions and taking into account the context of the place.
Revitalized Building B with an added part on the side of the Market Hall
photo: Przemysław Kozłowski/Gdynia.pl
- One of the most difficult elements of the extension under construction will be the construction of a two-story underground part due to the direct contact with the existing part of Building B and the high level of groundwater, explains Andrzej Blażko.
