Katowice New Congress Hall
The New Congress Hall for Katowice has many roles to play. It will have to be clearly
recognisable as an important public building for the city, and should at the same time not
obstruct the landmark role of its counter players - the Spodek Hall, or the position of the
others future buildings and the interventions to the north of the site. But most of all, it will
have to play the central role in restructuring the existing empty spaces in the north-eastern
part of the heart of the city and forming the new cultural axis of Katowice together with
Spodek Hall, planned Music Concert Hall, Theater and Silesian Museum
All these ambiguous demands to the New Congress Hall are brought together in an
abstract, monolithic volume, that at first glance might appear to have have randomly
landed from above, but that in reality has been very carefully positioned in order to
perform all its roles.
The monolithic structure nestles itself in the slope in such a way that the emptiness
disappears and a series of clearly articulated urban spaces is created. The square between
the underpass of the central roundabout and Spodek will get a clear ending by the new
building and its main entrance.
The volume hovers over the square in front of it, transforming itself into a huge, suspended
canopy. A large opening in the cantilevered part leads you inside where the square is
continued in a series of foyers and lobbys.
