This award winning design for the Malopolska Garden of Arts by the Polish practice of Ingarden & Ewy houses two important community organisations, the Malopolska Voivodeship Library and the Julius Slowacki Theatre.
The multi purpose space was built around a historic 19th Century riding arena in Krakow, incorporating the older buildings into the contemporary design in a way which the architects term as ‘mimesis and abstraction.’ The T shaped complex mirrors the shapes of the surrounding structures while claiming a unique identity in its own right. A mass of transparencies between clay louvres, it maintains a constant dialogue with the neighbourhood, an area popular with students and locals.
A semi open garden welcomes the public to participate in a range of activities, a theatre group, cinema, arts centre and function rooms which are available for conferences and banquets. It is hoped that the impressive three storey cultural centre which celebrates the heritage of the area and the best of innovative architecture will become an integral part of the local and national community.
