MVRDV has come up with yet another architectural masterpiece, as they completed their project in Poland by the name of ‘Baltyk’. The building is located in the historic city of Poznan, Western Poland and primarily consists of a combination of office space and retail outlets on the lower floors.
What’s so special about the tower, as you might already have noticed, is its pixelated concrete facade that can apparently shape-shift according to the person’s point of view.
MVRDV has developed the project alongside Natkaniec Olechnicki Architekci, and say that the Baltyk is an inspiration from the gridded appearance of Poznan’s ‘Okraglak’ building constructed by Marek Leykam in 1949. ‘Baltyk’ has been under construction for the past six years and comprises of 12,000 square meters of office space, along with a 750 square meter restaurant, a one room hotel, and a 1,350 squares meter retail plinth. The building also has three levels of underground parking.
‘We realized that if we could control the footprint of the building, we were able to create a new square between Baltic and Concordia,’ says Athalie de Vries, co-founder of MVRDV.
‘We responded by turning diagonal shapes into terraces, usable by the office workers to make a thin building that is very different from all four sides. It is slim towards the top to create a more tower-like feeling, but still respective of the neighborhood height restrictions.’
The building is named after a cinema that once stood at the same place. The building’s office space is limited to a depth of seven meters to ensure natural light throughout. The building has a slope of cascading terraces to the south and offers mesmerizing views across the city.
The building’s business center is complimented by various catering establishments, a gym, and even a jazz club on the 16th floor. There are various retail outlets within the building’s podium, and the entire structure is finished off with a luxurious rooftop restaurant.
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