Competition for the “COGNITARIUM Knowledge Centre” concept in Koszalin

Phase: competition design, 2020

Design team: Antoni Surowiak, Mateusz Gierszon, Ewelina Siestrzewitowska, Karolina Marciniak, Aleksandra Warowna

energy standard: energy-efficient

additional: ventilation with heat recovery, heat pumps, solar panels

URBAN PLANNING

The most important guidelines:

preserving the orthogonal urban layout with a dominant in the form of the two tall entrance buildings of the university of technology (buildings A and C), preserving the integrity of the composition despite the insertion of new development into it

strengthening the connection between the campus and the streets: Gdańska and Śniadeckich, and between the campus and the "Burning Birds" monument

closing the central interior of the campus with the COGNITARIUM building

delineating a park zone of the campus, linking it with the estate on Śniadeckich Street and the allotment gardens on Gdańska Street, and further: with the forest by Chełmska Mountain

connecting the above-mentioned zone with the main axis of the campus

The above guidelines were implemented within the project in 3 stages:

The designed COGNITARIUM building

, with its characteristic, original form with an elaborate tectonics of the elevation, while at the same time based on the modernist aesthetic language used both in buildings A, B, C and the newer ones, was located on the axis of the existing campus composition and closes the previously unclosed urban interior. While preserving the dimensions of the neighbouring development, it does not disturb the existing dominant of buildings A and C and ensures the maintenance of the integrity of the campus's existing urban layout.

Within the first stage, it is planned to build

a transverse square in front of the COGNITARIUM building, a car park on Gdańska Street, and a green pedestrian route behind the building

, as the first stage of building the campus's park zone. Plantings, the delineation of the main pedestrian routes, and the construction of an amphitheatre and a small square – a stage with the sports hall in the background – are planned by the designed building on the park side. At the same time, in order to maintain contact between the existing urban interior of the campus and the green zone, and further – the sports hall, the COGNITARIUM building is given such a form as to allow pedestrians to walk across the green roof of the building to the park zone. The form and the elaborate tectonics and permeability of the designed building provide, on the one hand, a clear closing of the urban axis and, on the other, allow a person leaving buildings A and C to glimpse trees between the elevation fins, while a green terrace "spilling out" onto the square invites them to pass through the building to the park. Likewise in an urban sense: the building is a clear boundary of the campus development, but it is also a gate to the park. The delineation of the park zone, across the main axis of the campus, is also the first stage of "bringing the campus closer" to Śniadeckich and Gdańska streets.

The construction of a group of buildings and car parks along Gdańska Street

, which is consistent with the plans of the University of Technology and the MPZP and rational in terms of the even distribution of car traffic between Śniadeckich and Gdańska streets. The new buildings, like the COGNITARIUM building, were designed in dimensions and heights corresponding to the existing development of simple forms. The main pedestrian routes and view axes were superimposed on the orthogonal urban grid, which resulted in the undercutting of the ground floors and first storeys. In this way, a clear axis for the pedestrian was created between the square by the COGNITARIUM and the "Burning Birds" monument, as well as a pedestrian route across this square between Śniadeckich and Gdańska streets. In this way the connections between the campus and the surrounding area were strengthened. Within this stage, it is also planned to delineate new paths in the park zone, linking it with the new buildings, and to build a park café by the COGNITARIUM building. It is planned that the building located to the south of the COGNITARIUM building will, in part or in whole, be dedicated to the extension of the library. While preserving the specificity of the existing group of buildings, it is planned to connect the buildings with one another by suspended walkways.

In connection with the extension of the campus on the southern side and the associated extension of the car parks from Gdańska Street, the possibility of a point change to the MPZP is assumed regarding the location of the non-transgressible building line and

the location of new buildings between the COGNITARIUM

and Śniadeckich Street

. This measure will bring the campus closer to the street, break up the monotony of the existing car parks by

Śniadeckich Street and make it possible to acquire new investment areas. This concept is realistic insofar as it does not conflict with the Study of Conditions and Directions of Spatial Development, and the non-transgressible building line on the neighbouring plots is located closer to Śniadeckich Street. At the same time, it should be emphasised that stage 3 of the extension is an optional stage, because the proposed urban concept meets the competition requirements even without the development planned in stage 3

ARCHITECTURE

The most important guidelines:

aesthetics, scale and geometry of the building referring to the existing development

linking the existing urban interior with the park through the building (visually and in terms of circulation)

creating amphitheatrical spaces within and outside the building

a clear functional layout, the separation of the "heart" of the building

the openness and transparency of the building

opening the exhibition spaces onto the passer-by

the accessibility of the reading room from the square and the green terrace

the accessibility of the conference and exhibition spaces from the main hall and directly from outside

THE VOLUME

Most of the above assumptions were fulfilled through the

characteristic shaping of the volume

, which arose as a result of operations consisting in a cuboid on a square plan, referring in geometry and height to the existing development, being cut and hollowed out so that above level +1 an internal green terrace was created, running through the building. At the same time, on the campus side, the volume of the building is cut so that a free entrance onto the terrace can be created from ground-floor level via a green ramp added to the building, beneath which a café was located. On the northern side, the volume of the building meets an earth berm – part of the park composition full of hillocks, on which the amphitheatre is shaped and beneath which the entry to the building's warehouse storey and the park café are hidden. Such a "hollowing out" of the volume makes it possible to pass through the building to the park.

The architecture of the designed building is a derivative of the need to adapt the building to the aesthetics of the campus, to the function it fulfils in the structure of the University of Technology – a library – and to the function it fulfils in the group of buildings – a gate to the park. The proposed architecture, owing to the elaborate tectonics of the elevation, is

extraordinarily variable

, that is, because of the different angles at which the elevation fins are mounted, the facade looks different, at times more and at times less transparent. This means at the same time that, for the same reasons, during the day the building has the form of a rather

uniform volume hanging over a glazed ground floor

, adapted to the massive architecture of the campus, only here and there revealing its rich interior, while at night, because of the large amount of glass and the light escaping from between the fins, it becomes much more

transparent, light and varied

. The arrangement of the fins is dictated by ensuring the appropriate amount of light for the individual rooms and is linked to the cardinal directions, and the pattern they create on the elevation brings to mind a stack of levitating books.

FUNCTION

The building is divided clearly into functional zones, which makes it easier to move around it

the zone of the demonstratorium and multimedia centre in the outer zone of the hall on the ground floor – closest to visitors from outside and to chance passers-by, surrounding the library zone,

the library and reading room in the inner zone of the hall, designed around large seating-stairs – a relaxation zone, the "heart of the building", on levels 0 to +2, with a direct exit on level +2 onto the green terrace,

the conference and exhibition zone, with entry through the hall from the north and from the green terrace, a zone in one of the wings of the building, separated from the reading room, which will ensure an appropriate acoustic standard,

the office zone on level +3 in both wings of the building, connected by a walkway over the green terrace,

the warehouse and technical zone on level -1, with a ramp for delivering collections.

At the same time, thanks to the chosen structural layout, the zones of the hall, library, conference and exhibition are

very flexible

and easily changeable, thanks to the use of sliding walls, movable individual-work rooms, etc.

The characteristic shaping of the building's volume has significance as a sign in space – a gate to the park, but such

an arrangement of the volume has a number of functional applications

. Beneath the ramp that leads the passer-by onto the terrace, a café is located, which thereby serves the building's hall and the square in front of the entrance. This location of the café also makes it possible to deliver goods to it without transporting them through the hall. Free access to the green terrace is also significant in

"bringing the exhibition hall closer" to the passer-by

. The passer-by, entering the terrace, walks along the gallery, which is located on level +2. This measure is intended to encourage them to enter the building and become acquainted with the exhibition

. It therefore has a popularising significance

The location of the entrances from the terrace to the conference and exhibition hall is also intended to increase the attractiveness of the space, which can be reached through the main hall but also directly from outside, strolling among the greenery

. This solution, together with the arcades designed in this part, allows, for example, part of the buffet to be "led out" into the garden space, or exhibits related to the conference or exhibition to be placed in this part. Such a solution offers an original conference and exhibition space that can also be used commercially. The flexibility of organising this space is facilitated by the use of folding walls between the hall and the conference and exhibition hall.

A direct exit onto the green terrace is also assigned to the library reading room and the idea-box room, creating

an attractive relaxation space

, enhancing the usable qualities of the library. In both cases, this part of the green terrace, for the sake of the security of the collections, is spatially separated from the commonly accessible route from the square to the park.

The building was shaped so as to ensure free access and so as to open onto different sides

. This is also linked to its "undercutting" and the complete glazing of the ground floor.

On entering the building from any of the three available sides, one immediately sees the whole "heart" of the library – the three-storey reading room laid out on large, amphitheatrical stairs, and the other zones of the ground floor.

At the end of the main flight of stairs, on the mezzanine-designed first floor, there is the lending desk. At this point the stairs turn and lead to the next level of the reading room, on level +2, with a direct exit onto the garden.

In this way the reading room connects the main hall with the terrace

. The large stairs, with bookshelves laid out on them in the risers, with seating benches and pouffes, organise and connect the space of three storeys, marking the centre of the library; they are also a popular amphitheatrical space from which one can observe both the main hall and the square in front of the library entrance.

The main hall is shaped in the same way: so that on entering through any of the entrances, on passing the first layer of the building, one immediately sees its centre, accessible on presenting a library card. Around this centre, in the main hall, the popularising and very attractive functions are distributed: the demonstratorium/exhibition space, the Foucault pendulum, and behind the stairs, in a darker place, but in such a way that it can be seen from every entrance: the multimedia centre.

As a rule, the main hall is divided into:

– a zone for students

with an entrance from the western/campus side

centrally located relative to the reading-room stairs

and by the café. From this entrance the cloakroom is least visible, but it is assumed that students, as regular users, are perfectly familiar with the library's layout. Students in the reading room move by the main stairs and the lift located already in the zone accessible on presenting a library card.

– a zone for exhibition/conference visitors

with an entrance from the northern side/the main car parks, located in such a way that on entering one immediately sees the cloakroom, the info point/porter's lodge, the café, the Foucault pendulum, part of the demonstratorium and multimedia centre, and the lifts leading to the conference and exhibition hall. This part is served by two lifts, in view of the possibility of a larger single influx of visitors. On the north-western side, an LED display integrated into the elevation cladding is also placed on the elevation, which makes it possible to provide information about the exhibitions and conferences taking place in the building.

– the demonstratorium zone

with a separate entrance from the southern side. This zone is designed as a popularising zone, which is why the objects of this zone are located by the entrance for students and conference visitors, and why it is located on the ground floor by the glazed walls.

– the multimedia centre zone

on the eastern side, visible from all the entrances, located – because of the nature of the objects placed there – in the darkest place of the hall.

In the main hall, by the southern wall – the wall that adjoins the future extension of the library – there is also a night book-return chute with a sorter and an entrance for staff. The lift intended for staff has no exit onto the main hall side.

CIRCULATION

The building is served by 5 lifts:

one lift in the library in the zone accessible on presenting a library card; levels 0 to +2. The lift is glazed on three sides. The lift is of an auxiliary character, because the main circulation between the reading-room floors takes place via the main stairs.

one lift by the southern wall, by the staff entrance, serving their circulation to the warehouses and to the office zone; levels -1 to +3. The lift on level 0 has no entrance from the main hall side, in order to avoid the lift being used mistakenly by unauthorised persons. In case of special needs, the lift can serve the higher floors of the reading room.

two lifts by the northern wall, serving movement to the conference and exhibition halls, the archive and part of the offices; levels -1 to +3. In case of special needs, the lift can serve the higher floors of the reading room.

one lift for transporting books, in the warehouse, sorter and lending desk. The lift serves the movement of books in the library. If needed, the number of lifts can be increased.

Between both administrative wings, a glazed walkway was designed, enabling circulation between the zone of the collection-acquisition and cataloguing departments and the zone of the library's publishing and digitisation. However, both these zones can function independently, and the designed walkway can be dispensed with.

A vehicle ramp from outside leads to the warehouses on level -1.

Evacuation meets the requirements of the ZLIII fire category and is carried out via the main evacuation staircases and directly outside the building: onto the area around the building and onto the green terrace.

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS:

Structure: reinforced concrete based on columns and the stiffening cores of the staircases, locally a structure based on steel beams and steel trusses. The green roof over the reading room is based on steel trusses, the remaining reinforced-concrete floors are based on reinforced-concrete beams. Reinforced-concrete strip footings or a foundation slab.

Finishing materials:

The elevation is covered with fins made of a steel substructure and fibre-cement boards; the elevation walls are covered with fibre-cement boards/cement plaster. The fins are mounted on a steel substructure, mounted to the wall via thermal spacers.

The glazing in the main general rooms is made as frameless, based on glass or aluminium mullions; the remaining joinery is aluminium

Roofs are green and insulated with EPDM

The floors are made of light and dark granite slabs and timber panels in the general rooms, and timber panels and carpeting in the office rooms. In most of the building the floors are raised.

The reading-room stairs are made of timber boards with book boxes; on the stairs there are locally upholstered seats/cushions/armchairs

Internal aluminium joinery

ENERGY-EFFICIENT INSTALLATION SOLUTIONS

The building is based on a mechanical supply-and-exhaust ventilation system equipped with heat-recovery units. The main air-handling units serving the rooms used throughout the library's working day are on the roof, and the ventilation risers are located by the staircases and bathrooms. In rooms used irregularly and non-continuously (conference and exhibition halls, idea box), local, suspended air-handling units.

As the lower heat source intended to support the heating of the building, ground heat exchangers located in the earth berm on the eastern side of the building were used. The exchanger is also used to cool the building in summer.

A system of photovoltaic panels, with the electricity used to run the building, including the air-handling units.

Energy-efficient LED fittings.

A 20-centimetre layer of insulation on the building's walls and a 25-centimetre layer on the roof.

Elevation fins protecting against overheating of the building

Elimination of thermal bridges