Office, Olsztyn

Located in the north-eastern part of Poland, the city of Olsztyn is unlikely to feature in any of the better-known architecture magazines, either as an urban setting, or on account of recent architecture. The reason is simple: insufficient investment and low quality. The newly erected headquarters of the NDG medical sales force is an exception to what has almost become a rule for the area. It might even prove to be a turning point for Olsztyn, which until now has seemed to be at a standstill in terms of urban development.

The location, alongside a dilapidated train station and in the midst of an industrial landscape, is less than favourable, yet the new edifice is more than eye-catching. The building was not designed by a renowned architectural studio, nor was the client a wealthy corporation intent on creating an image. The owner of the building is a new and dynamic pharmaceutical company; the designers are Andrzej Kikowski and Damian Cyryl Kotwicki, two young Warsaw-based architects.

The client wanted a functionally and aesthetically modern building. Its internal space was to be open and flexible, capable of adjusting to the changing needs of the staff. Although its outer shell was required to reflect the spirit of the time, the client asked that bricks be used in the facade. The architects' work started with an analysis of the context. This led to a spatial play informed by existing buildings, a nearby Art Nouveau palace, a small park and a panoramic view of the city centre. The result of this study was a complex geometrical shape: a cubiform building with a couple of clearly defined indentations in the facade and a very restricted colour palette.

The programme was not large: 350 m² office space spread over three irregularly-shaped floors. The building is accessed through the narrowest end facade, the lower part of which is indented towards the black door crowned with a triangular skylight. From here, the open office space, a small conference room, kitchen and toilets are connected by an open staircase overlooking a patio, which also serves as a 10-metre-high entrance lobby. The interaction between the wall planes and large panes of glass generates a sense of tension, which is in turn relieved by the uniform white and grey and the regular fenestration.

Everyday office activities serve to blur the geometric purity of the space, thereby softening the sterility of the interior. However, office life does not affect the outer appearance of the building. The architects used two different materials, alternating long panes of clear and opaque glass with large areas of rough brick, at different angles to each other. The glass not only fills the window frames but is also used as cladding for load-bearing walls. Its subdivision, emphasized by black horizontal aluminium profiles, contrasts with the large expanses of brick. As with the entrance space, the glass prisms have been folded inwards, creating intimate terraces with diverting views of the city. With a rather complex structure, the architects have succeeded in creating a strong marketing image for the newly formed company.