International Architecture Awards Tell a friend
ARCHIVE 2025
International Architecture Awards
Architects: Pracownia Reżyserii Architektury Archigeum sp. z o.o.
Design Team: Przemek Gawęda, Marcin Sajdak, Dariusz Witucki, Joanna Ratajczak, and Oleh Kyshliaruk
General Contractors: MKW Proinvest sp. z o.o., Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Kijewo Królewskie, Poland
Client: MKW Proinvest sp. z o.o.
Photographers: Marcin Sajdak
Fort X is located on the Vistula River, 2.5 km from the very center of Toruń, where Nicolaus Copernicus was born.
Fort X is part of a larger complex. It is the 19th-century Toruń Fortress. It was built in the years 1889-1892 as an open artillery battery.
The Toruń Fortress consists of over 200 structures, including 18 large forts (15 forts of the outer ring and 3 forts that are part of the inner ring). It is one of the most attractive fortification complexes in Europe and one of the largest in Poland.
Unfortunately, these structures are currently abandoned and deteriorating. They no longer perform active military functions. The chance for their second life is to adapt them to new functions. Attracting investors is not easy due to the high costs of adaptation. This is the only chance for these historic structures to survive.
A positive impulse is the complete adaptation of Fort X. An investor appeared who decided to develop design documentation and rebuild the fort in its historical shape.
The current area of Fort X is largely distorted. The architects' design activities focused on reconstructing the outline of earth fortifications such as artillery positions with traverses and shooting benches. The project of expanding the fort and rebuilding the earth fortifications was implemented based on historical construction plans that were created at the end of the 19th century.
The assumption was designed to accommodate a hotel and conference facilities, which will be located in the existing shelter and in newly designed buildings. The new blocks are hidden in the fort area. The idea was to fit the new volumes in such a way that they would not be visible from the central part of the fort.
The fort owner's house and the event and banquet hall were designed in the lowest part of the complex - by the moat. The purpose of locating the new volumes of the house is to establish a relationship with water.
The main concept of the entire complex is integration with the surrounding landscape located among trees and fields stretching to the horizon. The proximity of water is a positive value for the users of the facility, guests, tourists or the owner of the house.
An important thing is the social function of the facility and proposing functions of a hotel, cultural and event nature. Thanks to its unique location, the complex has the ability to integrate the local community and enthusiasts and lovers of military architecture. The entire Fort X will be brought back to life and made available to residents.
In order to reduce water consumption, rainwater collection systems and domestic sewage treatment plants were used. Thanks to ecological thinking, roofs hidden in the ground and covered with grass contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The goal of the entire Fort and the house is to live in harmony with each other and with nature.
Ecological materials and technologies will be used to build the house, such as natural insulation, elimination of toxic substances.
Energy, water and the sewage system are subject to the principles of use in a closed circuit.
The flat roof supports the green roof providing thermal comfort, and covered with grass refers to the surroundings. Photovoltaic panels optimize energy consumption. The electricity generated is used for lighting and water heating and is stored in a solar battery. The reconstruction and adaptation of the fort is an opportunity to popularize the reduction of gas emissions such as CO2 and fits into ecological trends because it does not take up other areas for construction, which are valuable culturally and landscape-wise.
