ORIGAMI MARKET

The presence of small catering and retail facilities is an extremely significant and often unavoidable aspect accompanying tourist destinations. We often see them becoming a focal point in the area, a place for informal meetings or an oasis for relaxing during a busy day. What is more, street food and so-called food trucks have already become a permanent part of our culture. They attract both tourists and local residents by offering not only food, but a kind of social experience. They are characterised by a kind of freedom, simplicity and sense of belonging, and while waiting for the food there is often a spontaneous conversation between people who have not yet met. However, due to the small size and temporary nature of the pavilions, their impact on the surrounding space is often underestimated and neglected in urban planning. Their attractive location and multiplicity, however, give them great potential to enhance or detract from the quality of public spaces and the experience of place. It is therefore important that cities, following the example of the city of Kołobrzeg, implement appropriate strategies to regulate the visual aspects of this type of facility. An attractive, but at the same time coherent character of the pavilions, an original, but non-invasive and non-competing with the natural surroundings appearance, will make the pavilions a pleasant aspect of the frontage of streets, promenades, or generally speaking the fabric of the city.

In our design the form was inspired by the local architecture of Kołobrzeg. The blocks are characterised by a recurring motif of a gabled roof in a contemporary asymmetrical version. Breaks in the roof slope give the blocks an attractive character and break their monolithic nature. This detail also makes it possible to create varied compositions of the façades by juxtaposing the basic form and its mirror image.

The pavilion proposals for areas 3, 5-7 and 12, despite their different sizes, are characterised by a coherent vision and built form using the same material and formal solutions to reduce visual chaos along the promenade. The proposed aesthetic is both original and easily adaptable to the needs of different functions and tenants. The forms are attractive and easily recognisable in the public space, while creating a coherent image integrated into the surroundings. The proposed modules can be configured in any combination of sizes.

In times of climate crisis, however, more is required of architecture than correctness or visual and functional attractiveness. Architecture and the entire surrounding building sector contribute enormously to carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Responsible decisions at the design stage can significantly reduce a building's carbon footprint. During our design work, we analysed all phases of a building's life cycle and implemented optimal solutions to counteract the negative environmental impact. An important fact for us is the nature of the buildings and its attractive location, in a kind of centre of public space and social activity, in a city visited by thousands of tourists every year. A facility of this nature has the potential to become a form of climate activism, demonstrating that it is possible to combine simple, elegant and functional design with solutions that minimise adverse environmental impact. The pavilions are made of wooden construction. Wood, if properly sourced, has negative CO2 emissions. The carbon dioxide emissions generated during the entire production process are less than the processed CO2 during the growth phase of the tree. Due to Kołobrzeg's location on the coast of the Baltic Sea, we have also paid particular attention to solutions for the waste that pollutes our seas and oceans. As much as one-third of all plastic waste ends up in the environment, much of it in the seas and oceans. The Baltic Sea, as a shallow and almost completely enclosed sea, is particularly prone to waste accumulation. To make use of some of it, we decided to use façade tiles and interior finish made from recycled plastics. Anyone visiting the promenade in Kołobrzeg will have the opportunity to see this still innovative material and appreciate its aesthetic qualities. The pavilions have the potential to become a showpiece of Kolobrzeg - a city of innovation and investment in sustainable development.