The new Congress Center has over 37 000sqm of usable floor space consisting of 3 halls, with seating for 1 800-2 000, 600 and 300 respectively, conference rooms of 500sqm, storage space, technical equipment and underground parking for 320 cars.

It is expected that the building will become a new architectural landmark on the banks of the Vistula River in Krakow, while at the same time successfully blending with both the historical and modern components of the Old City, Kazimierz and Podgorze.

The functional and compositional layout of the building is designed to mirror the curve in the roads it faces, with one façade permitting views over the city’s main historical landmarks. The height of the building gradually decreases towards the river, thus respecting the green boulevards alongside the Vistula River. The modern appearance of the building is created by the organic irregular shapes and the different materials that contrast with the glass surfaces of the foyer which itself allows a vast panoramic view of Krakow.

In and around the glass three-storey high foyer, visitors will be able ‘to see and to be seen’. The building is covered by a undulating roof, which is visible from the terrace of the Wawel Castle, and harmonizes with the fluid form of the Museum of Japanese Art and Technology designed by Arata Isozaki & Associates (in collaboration with Ingarden & Ewy Architekci).

The basic materials of the façade and roof, glass and titanium, have individually designed ceramic panels of different colours placed at irregular intervals on their surface, providing a link to the materials used in the construction of the Wawel Castle. The composition of differentiated materials and colours juxtaposed with glass creates a mosaic pattern on the elevations, thus defining the architectural expression of the building.