Modern Town House in Łódź
The Modern Town House in Łódź constitutes the example of ‘here and now’ type of architecture. It rejects adapting historic stylistic trends literally and uses materials and technologies that are appropriate for modern times. It also searches for the spirit of the city of Łódź.
The geometry of the town house’s profile remains inseparably connected with the building’s surroundings. From the side of Orla and Sienkiewicza Streets, the town house continues the characteristic meandering line of its western quarters; and from the side of other buildings’ annexes, it extends the line of inner yards. From the urbanist perspective, the building ‘gives way’ to public space. It creates two spaces that complement the built-up part of the plot – a public entrance square and a private recreation area. Both spaces are connected by an internal lobby.
The architecture of the building revokes the splendor typical of a big-city town house. Large, well-ventilated flats, fine finishing materials, common recreation spaces, and an underground garage are to encourage future tenants to choose the city center as their home.
Both the history of architecture and of the city of Łódź determine the form of the building. The axial and regular façade, classical in its character, is based on proportions and respects the horizontal division into the base, the middle part and the crowning part. What has left an equally impressive mark on the architecture of the building is the industrial history of the city. The repetitive window detail can be associated with factory buildings and the workers' houses in Łódź, while the light fabric markisolette lends the building lightness and evokes connotations with textile industry.
Old, small, prefabricated decorative elements are replaced by large concrete sections of facade walls. In the context of continually increasing cost of handicraft, the prefabricated structure constitutes an answer to the need for economy and quality in multi-family housing.
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Project: Multi-family housing
Location: Łódź, PL
Status: Competition
Prize: 2nd prize
Year: 2017
Architects: Tomasz Berezowski, Dyrda Fikus Architekci
Team: Tomasz Berezowski, Marta Dyrda, Radosław Fikus