Silesia City Center
Poland
Katowice
Show description
Project Location
The Project is located in the Silesia region in the city of Katowice at Chorzowska street (route 914), one of the main arterial roads in the region. Chorzowska street links Katowice with Bytom and Chorzow and provides convenient access to the local and regional highway network. The Project is well served by two road junctions and an excellent interchange which allows traffic from both directions (East and West) to leave the main highway and enter the center. Public transportation include an adjacent high speed intercity tram line that has recently been renovated and more than 12 bus lines that stop immediately adjacent to the site.
Design concept:
The Silesia City Center Project is the most important mixed use retail based in the region. Strategically located, with excellent access and proximity to the large urban sites is poised to significantly contribute to improvement of quality of life of the inhabitants of the region.
The transformation of the post-industrial site into vibrant attractive center was a challenge, the Concept Architects (BOSE INTERNATIONAL PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE. Marek Tryzybowicz was an Author of Concept Design, accepted with genuine enthusiasm. The remnants of the industrial mining past have been incorporated into the design from the very beginning. The opportunity to incorporate remaining old brick buildings and mining shaft was the key component of the design strategy to acknowledge the history of the place still alive in the memory of local citizens. This industrial site was very significant for many generations of miners and their families and present in the collective memory of the local population. Adaptation of the old buildings was a natural fit for the concept of CITY CENTER. The main ENTRY PLAZA was proposed as a urban center with variety of individual buildings. The adapted old structures were supplemented by carefully scaled new building forms designed with the intention of creating an atmosphere of city center with lots of activity, pedestrian movement , variety of forms and multisensory experience of movement, sound, visual attractions, water fountain and choice of restaurants, artist market, cafes, external food court seating and open air promotions, shows and exhibits. The richness of different facade treatments, height variations enhance the feel of diversity of building forms. Bright colour canopies provide much needed protection against rain and sun exposure and invite visitors to look at display windows located along the facade leading to the main entry. The formula of vibrant Plaza in front of the entry was proposed as a integral component of the design. The visitors can experience the ambience of the plaza the moment they arrive at the tram stop. The paving is designed with materials and patterns enhancing the impression of the urban streetscape. The iconic character of the mining shaft tower (44 m high) transformed into the gigantic graphics pylon allows for immediate identification of the development long before reaching the entry destination. The other four entrances to the building follow the same strategy of using exteriors treatments that enhance this city feeling (height variations, arcade/pergolas, different facade designs/materials)
The interior of the Center is orgainised as a “racetrack mall” with up to 10 anchor stores including a Tesco hypermarket. The remainder of the smaller shops will be strategically positioned between the anchors and on the inner portion of the racetrack.
New interior retail environment concept introduced to the region is defined as interior urban streetscape/plazas system and departs from typical hypermarket driven inline retail. The unique spaces and features are clearly organised within internal street/plaza system. Individual plazas with thematically distinct character are linked by system of streets. The unique character of feature spaces is accomplished by the intricate floor patterns, geometry of spaces, volumetric differences, amenities, graphics and three-dimensional suspended graphics/lighting objects and thematically defined water/landscape feature.
SELECTED AWARDS:
Central & Eastern Europe Real Estate Quality Awards 2006:
- CEE Retail Development of the Year
- CEE Outstanding Development of the Year
Competition of the International Council of Shopping Center (ICSC):
- Silver Award in MAXI Awards 2009 competition in “Alternative Income Sources” category