According to the survey, there are several thousand facilities in Poland that require urgent remedial action. They are most often located within large agglomerations, such as Warsaw, Krakow, the Tri-City and Wroclaw. Reclaiming these sites through revitalization, is a prerequisite for sustainable development and restoring harmony to rapidly developing urban areas. There are companies that find these spaces and give them back to cities in new forms and functions. Moderna Holding is one of them.
A return to the splendor of the 1930s.
One of the biggest challenges for Moderna was certainly the revitalization of the symbol of the "city from the sea," the Gdynia headquarters of the Polish Bank. The project, designed by Stanislaw Filasiewicz, was built in the 1930s and for decades embodied Gdynia's boldest aspirations. The materials used in its construction and the decorative panache made it one of the most expensive Polish Bank investments in Poland at the time.
In 2017, when Moderna bought the building, the bank building was in a difficult state of repair. Two years later, the restoration process began, which included restoring historical details such as wooden window moldings and stucco terazzo plaster (which required an enormous amount of work to clean and replenish).
Bank of Poland 1929
© Moderna Holding
The most difficult, most labor-intensive part turned out to be the filling of hairline cracks in the plasters, in order to protect them from the direct action of water. The cracks were secured by introducing appropriate filling and sealing compounds. The selection of the compound depended on the size and nature of the crack. The mortar was modified individually for each section of the facade by changing its coloration and density. Fillingall the cracks took nine months," explains Jakub Wyrwicki, Construction Manager of "Bank Polski 1929", Moderna Holding.
The work was completed in 2021. The building has passed all the required construction and conservation approvals, and Gdynia has regained the splendor of one of its architectural symbols.
A surviving tenement
Another architectural treasure that was recovered thanks to Moderna's efforts is located on Zajęcza Street in Warsaw's Powisle district. It is one of the few tenements that survived the turmoil of World War II, combining pre-war flair and modern flair.
Made of glass surfaces, terraces and mesh shutters, the multi-faceted, mystical, neo-modernist facade surrounds the former building, blending into it while maintaining a distinct personality thanks to well-designed dividing lines. This creates a heterogeneous facade composition that does not compete for the viewer's attention. The design highlights the heritage of the tenement, bringing out its sophistication.
A tenement on Zajęcza Street in Warsaw's Powiśle district.
© Moderna Holding
The smoothness of the glass panes and façade, the indistinct nature of the mesh elements of the terraces and the roughness of the plaster all combine to create a multidimensional image of the building, through the use of various textures and the play of light and shadow. As a result, the building, with its ever-changing geometric shapes and textures, never fails to impress. The placement of high-quality, fine plaster against white windows, aluminum balcony partitions in white/beige, huge glazed areas and Equitone tiles, all together tell the story of the evolution of modernism.
The new life of Wroclaw's icons
In addition to the Tri-City and Warsaw markets, Moderna Holding's next big projects will be two buildings in the capital of Lower Silesia - Wroclaw. The first is an iconic representative of modernist architecture with no shortage of Brutalist references, the ZREMB office building located on Gen. Romualda Traugutta. The second Wroclaw relic is the extremely stylistically diverse Paczkowa Post Office building located on Jan Evangelista Purkyniego Street. It is a historic urban monument, where Neo-Baroque mixes with elements of Art Nouveau.
One of the biggest challenges in buildings erected more than 50 years ago is to adapt them to their new function while meeting technical requirements. Today, in the era of the policy of pursuing zero-carbon, the restoration of existing unused buildings is so important because of the reduction of the built-in carbon footprint, while at the same time challenging the operational carbon footprint," explains Norbert Cendrowski, Director of Production Planning at Moderna Holding.
The Wroclaw developments will be built to BREEAM standards, which will confirm the company's attention to sustainable construction principles.
Revitalization on a historic scale
Moderna's Tricity development, Scala History, has also won industry recognition. Its part is the "red barracks" building. It originally served a military function, so its redefinition was one of the biggest adaptation difficulties for the company.
Scala History in Gdansk
© Moderna Holding
In consultation with the preservationist and in accordance with the provisions of the zoning plan, it was possible to create a concept for the space with respect for the historical buildings, as well as space for two more contemporary parts. The new buildings are expected to receive BREAAM International New Construction V6 certification, which confirms that the requirements for sustainable and responsible construction have been met.
BREEAM is a certification that prioritizes sustainability and is one of the better ones that describes requirements related to biodiversity. With the aim of reducing adverse environmental impact, the Scala History development has selected vegetation adapted to the region's climatic conditions, which does not require frequent maintenance. More than 70 native species were found here, creating diverse biotopes within the estate, where birds, insects and even small mammals will find shelter and food," explains Joanna Rayss, CEO of Moderna EcoLogic.
After revitalization, Scala History will not only change the face of Gdansk's Downtown, but together with the neighboring Scala development, it will create a cohesive, traditionally inspired space where proud history, natural heritage and modern developments intermingle and complement each other.
Restored traditions of Gdansk Oliwa
Historic Oliwa, full of townhouses and villas, planted with rich trees, is the apple of the eye of Gdansk residents. It is one of the most charming districts of the great agglomeration, which attracts the attention of visitors from all over the world. Before the war, the elegant Hotel Deutscher Hof (transl. German Manor) operated at 505 Grunwaldzka Avenue. After 1945, the building became a workers' hotel until it eventually turned into a clinic.
Oliva 505 in Gdansk
© Moderna Holding
With the passage of time, the building succumbed to the degrading corrosion of time, and its technical condition did not allow for the preservation of the existing fabric. In 2016, Moderna purchased the site and, under conservatorship, proceeded to restore the historic form of the old clinic. The newly created building was to form a cohesive development together with a service and hotel complex along Grunwald Avenue with accommodation facilities of more than 100 rooms.
With the completion of the building, just as many years ago, residents of Gdansk can once again enjoy the assistance of medical science specialists gathered under the common roof of "Oliva 505." Visitors, in turn, from the rich offer of the Hampton by Hilton hotel, which with its activities refers to the past of the historically important part of Oliva.
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