It was built in the 1960s as a light and modernistic pavilion for the Furniture House, but is now a caricature of itself from before. The LOT building is waiting for its successor, while in the background like a boomerang the demands for the reconstruction of the neo-Renaissance Danziger Hof hotel return. And a good, modern design, despite the settlement of an architectural competition, still does not exist.
Although it stands near the most important monuments in Danzig: Wyżynna Gate, Zlota Brama and Katownia, its glory days are long behind it. Still, it is a popular meeting place for locals. And just as the residents of Krakow meet "under the Adas," Warsaw "under the Rotunda" and Poznan "under the Pillory," the people of Gdansk have taken a liking to the LOT building, located in the heart of the city. Announcements that it would disappear from the city's landscape and be replaced by a modern hotel and offices have been heard for many years. With such an intention, in mid-2012 the building was bought from LOT Polish Airlines by the Gdynia-based Elfeko company for twelve and a half million zlotys. Ideas on how to develop one of the most important plots of land in the city, however, aroused emotions from the beginning. It was agreed that the winning project would be selected in a competition to develop an urban-architecturalconcept for the building at 2/4 Waly Jagiellońskie Street, which was conducted for the investor by the "Wybrzeże" Branch of the Association of Polish Architects.
in the vicinity of the LOT building are the most important monuments of Gdansk: the Wyżynna Gate, the Katownia, the Prison Tower and the Zlota Brama (Golden Gate)
photo: Ewa Karendys
reconstruction is a falsification of history
Even before the judges announced the verdict, discussions about how to develop the attractive plot of land flared up anew. Not for the first time, there were also demands to refer to the site's past and... rebuild the Danziger Hof, which was located there until 1945. This Neo-Renaissance building, regarded in the first half of the 20th century as the most luxurious hotel in Danzig, was built between 1896 and 1898.
According to the Gedanopedia, or "Encyclopedia of Danzig":
"the hotel had 120 rooms with 157 beds, a restaurant with 100 seats, a café, a pastry shop, a ballroom for 400 people, with a stage, it had central heating, electric lighting, freight and passenger elevators, a laundry and a kitchen (...). The floors were accessed by a white marble staircase or a stylish elevator.
Its design came from the hand of Berlin architect Carl Gause. The Danziger Hof was erased from the cityscape by the war.
Danziger Hof hotel in 1898, designed by Carl Gause
photo: from the collection of the Danzig Museum
slight shock
Fortunately, a sizable number of architects and urban planners in the pages of newspapers strongly opposed reconstruction, which in this case would be a falsification of history. Architecture should be a sign of the times in which it is built. The LOT site today needs a modern building that breathes new quality into it.
The architectural competition, settled in October 2017, only sharpened the discussion. The second place was awarded to the Gdansk studio KD Kozikowski Design, led by Marcin Kozikowski, a popular architect in Gdansk (he is responsible for many projects on the attractive Granary Island lots). The first place was not awarded by the competition court, but the investor chose the project of KD Kozikowski Design office for implementation anyway. As the judges later explained, this work was the only one that met the competition's requirements.
"The opening from the side of the Jagiellonian Embankment must shock slightly. That's why we tried to introduce architecture typical of office buildings, combined with Gdansk brick architecture," the winners told reporters just after the verdict was read out.
The winning project in the competition to develop an urban-architectural concept for the building at 2/4 Waly Jagiellońskie Street by the KD Kozikowski Design studio caused controversy among Danzigers
© KD Kozikowski Design
The project shocked, causing a stir among architects and art historians. It inflamed residents. Controversy arose over the facades and how the building attempts to fit into such a challenging environment. The architects intended the design of the various facades to ensure that the LOT's successor would not be a uniform, heavy mass. But the final result introduces material chaos (there is brick, sandstone and glass). The double glass facade also came under the fire of criticism. It was supposed to lighten the massing, but there were concerns that it would overshadow the historic buildings.
"This is the kind of architecture that could be called 'trendy' - a glass facade superimposed on the facade proper is something that has long been considered 'chic.' In reality, however, the project we hear is to be implemented, with all its aspirations to be "fashionable," already gives the impression of being quite outdated, and in a few years it will even sting the eye with its outdated "shabbiness" - commented art historian Dr. Jacek Friedrich [see: here].
A dry thread was not left on the project by the services of the Pomeranian conservator of monuments, announcing that they would not agree on the project in this form.
"The glass will contrast with the historic architecture, especially since it appears on such a large area," - Agnieszka Kowalska, then Pomeranian historic preservationist, told the media.
LOT to the register?
Two years have passed since the competition was decided. And despite the fact that, according to the announcement, construction was to begin in early 2019, eventually plans to develop the plot got bogged down for good. The investor and the designer, under the eye of the conservationist, have made changes, but, probably due to concerns about public perception, the project has not yet seen the light of day. The investment won't start soon anyway, as other obstacles have appeared on the horizon.
Igor Strzok, the Pomeranian historic preservationist, who has been in office since June 2019, has withheld permission for the LOT's demolition. The reason? According to him, it needs to be checked whether the building, currently listed in the municipal register of monuments, should not be given more conservation care. Thus, one cannot rule out the scenario that the preservationist will want to enter the building in the register of monuments.
LOT's building is entered in the municipal register of monuments
photo: Ewa Karendys
shadow of the Furniture House
The current LOT building was erected in 1961 as the Furniture House. The modernist block designed by Lech Kadlubowski was built on the site where the Danziger Hof used to receive guests before the war. Elegant and light, bold for the time (bright glass and steel on the facade), it was regarded as a symbol of modernity. Its height was no coincidence - it referred to the city ramparts located here until the turn of the 20th century.
The snag is that the current LOT building is a shadow of the Furniture House from years ago. In 1977, the commercial pavilion came into the hands of LOT Polish Airlines and underwent reconstruction, which - along with subsequent ones - took away its character and lightness. Sheet metal, glass and a tacky copper color appeared on the facade. While restoring the original and light form of the 1960s would certainly be a good idea, it is difficult to expect that the preservationist, much less the investor, will be able to afford such decisions.
LOT Polish Airlines pavilion in 1984 - bird's eye view
photo: from the collection of the National Digital Archive
high rise architecture?
What is certain is that the current LOT building, although residents have grown accustomed to it, does not match the stature of the site. After all, the surroundings of the Upland Gate deserve only architecture.... of high standards. Modern and at the same time respectful of the historical surroundings. Unfortunately, the attempts and fits so far do not inspire optimism. We can only hope that the final result, as in the case of the reconstruction of the Lech Kadlubowski furniture pavilion, will not be a change for the worse.
