The Monroe European Engineering Center in Gliwice is the central research and development facility of a leading automotive company. Accompanying the technological hall is an office building of approximately 3,300 m², which constitutes the subject of the project.
The interior design of the facility evolves around the concept of architecture as a tool for building organizational identity and creating a user-friendly working environment. As in other projects by Zalewski Architecture Group, narrativity – treated as a conceptual design tool – serves not only to create the atmosphere of the place, but also to organize the relationships between function, materiality, and spatial experience.
Spatial and material solutions build meaning, reinforcing associations with the company’s field of activity and giving the project an individual character. Contrasting combinations of technical materials (metal, glass) and natural ones (felt, wood) create a sensorially diverse environment.
The functional layout responds to contemporary modes of work: individual, collaborative, and hybrid. Spaces such as the WorkCafe, Team Collaboration zones, and workshop areas encourage interaction, regeneration, and a return to work in a rhythm adapted to the user.
The interior does not impose unequivocal interpretations; instead, it remains open to a multiplicity of experiences. The careful selection of colors, acoustics, and lighting supports physical and mental well-being by minimizing stress and fostering a sense of security.
The entrance area features a showroom and exhibition elements that complement the architectural narrative and present the company’s identity in an artistic form. The project is a reflective attempt to integrate architecture with the organizational and human dimensions of everyday functioning.
Object name: Engineering Center in Gliwice
Author of the project: Zalewski Architecture Group
Architects: Krzysztof Zalewski,
Design collaboration: Paweł Zalewski, Patrycja Dapa - Rylukowska,
Author of photographs: Tomasz Zakrzewski/ Archifolio
Location: Gliwice, Silesia
Implementation date: 2023 r.
