INTRODUCTION
Tradition in the modern world is our leitmotif in the work on this project. The Pottery Courtyard owes its name to the traditional ceramic handicraft trade fair for local artisans. This tradition today is just a memory. Through this project we want to restore life to this heritage, an important event for the region and the city. It is also for us an opportunity to return to the tradition of ceramics in architecture. Today ceramics are increasingly being ignored and pushed aside to make room for an ever-increasing range of building products/materials. Here we make ceramics the protagonist again. On the outside facade we have a static, straight, neutral white and cream color, whilst for the inner facade that faces the Pottery Courtyard we allow for the full splendor of color, light and movement. The outer straight line and the inner curve. In the tradition of ceramic pottery lies an element - earth. Treated with the other elements of water, fire and air, which gives it life and color. The combination of these elements is always surprising. Ceramics are a constant surprise, forming elements we have no idea what the end result of our work will be. The result is a huge variety of shapes, colors and allocation of items created by human hands. The process of creating pottery influenced the decision of the shape of the building on the outside and inside. The possibility of cutting, carving and turning on the potter's wheel. Thus arose the idea for a project at work with clay. we want a building - carved in the ground with a huge surprise inside: action through the potter’s wheel that continuously surprises us with its movement, and the play of light and color.
LAND DEVELOPMENT.
The project area is a multi-purpose building. The Pottery Courtyard is at the intersection of the Hospital and Wierzynkastreet, in very close proximity to the Old Town Square in Rzeszów. In its present state the land is operated as a parking lot. At the intersection of Wierzynka Street and the Hospital is a building that is designated for demolition. The main problem in the area of intervention is the lack of continuity of the urban fabric in the southern part of the plot. A street with no exit currently stops pedestrian and wheeled vehicles, and the parking areas in the proximity are in poor condition. The project assumes that unblocking the street between the Hospital and Wierzynka Street will require a phasing so the pre-concept design allows the execution of building a multi-purpose building as a whole in the first stage, leaving a free area in the southern part of the plot. This step aims to achieve also the continuity of Wierzynka street. If it is in the interest of the city and Investor it is possible to obtain the continuity of all the streets in order to fully reconstruct the urban fabric. This will allow smooth, uninterrupted circulation around the plot, which will help circulation in the local area in general. As a result we have created a space that continues and adds to the urban fabric. Wierzynka Street and the Hospital are privileged due to their proximity to the Old Market, and therefore we propose to raise the profile of the streets. In the final stage of reconstruction it is proposed the greening of the inner part, Wierzynka Street, and giving it the nature of a pedestrian avenue by clearing the street and opening Szpitalna Street. In the proposed building we accept the traditional urban tissue resulting in a neutral facade respecting and following the downtown fabric, whilst expressing the hybrid nature in the inner Courtyard. The Pottery Courtyard is considered a public place and will be entirely pedestrian directly communicated with the Old Market. Bearing in mind the flow of people from the Market Square the main entrance it is designed as a powerful open gate from the side of The Pottery Square, inviting passers-by to enter into the courtyard. The door is also the entrance to the hotel. The building also has two slightly smaller entrances to provide access for future residents of apartments and to improve the connection for users of the commercial areas. A circular communication inside the courtyard gives access to the retail spaces meanwhile the Szpitalnej street gives access for the planned underground parking. Wierzynka Street is planned to give the character of a leafy avenue.
FORM: COMPOSITION OF THE BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE
The composition of the building stems from the urban development of the downtown area. By following the alignment of the surrounding streets we get a building with a compact shape, which is cut from the outside with sharp lines but not in the inside, hence fully respecting The Pottery Courtyard, and a large new public space "at the heart" of the proposed building. This new Courtyard called the "The Pottery Courtyard" has a rounded form and a tapered cut that opposes the external geometry of the streets. This courtyard was "brought on a potter's wheel" looking for connections with the world of the handicraft tradition by providing good ventilation and lighting functions to the courtyard. The volume leans in response to the facades of the buildings opposite. The maximum height is set at 25,5m. seeking harmony and perfection in the context of the city and its skyline. How to respect the height of the city and protect its monuments by designing a building set into the fabric of its urban space, and respond to the needs of the Investor in terms of space? we propose a lower building with the shopping area underground illuminated by a courtyard. we also add a large public space on the ground floor which preserves the character of the local urban environment. To adjust the height of the building to the urban surroundings we propose to have illuminated underground levels inside the courtyard for the commercial zone. On the other hand, suites and club are located on the top floors providing views of the Castle and the Old City. The composition of the facade is a superimposition of grid elevation of the surrounding buildings. It is proposed that the proportions of windows and their spacing will be similar to the surrounding buildings in the city Centre. Externally the building is sober, serious and even stern in colors ranging from white to sand-colored pottery. The division of windows is characteristic of the local residential style. The delicate color variations on the external facade refer to the composition of the facade of the squares and streets of downtown. Entering the courtyard begins to show color, movement and light. Designed facades of extruded glazed ceramic elements in colors ranging from blue cobalt through to a mixture of cobalt and white to green. We offer a modern use of the material in a very traditional architecture in a historic environment. We use it on the outside as glazed bricks and straight shapes, whilst inside the courtyard uses designed ceramic elements that are curves.
FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM
The proposed building is seven floors above ground level and has three floors underground From the ground floor there are two underground parking levels that provide 202 parking spaces with 22 places for disabled users with an entrance and exit from Szpitalnej Street. Basement -1 is entirely dedicated to commercial areas and the Pottery Courtyard for approx. 430 m2. The ground floor level is the entrance to different parts of the building and the Pottery Courtyard. Two entrances in the southern part of the plot area provide access to the apartments. The entrances to the apartments are monitored with CCTV. The remainder of the ground floor is a commercial gallery surrounding the courtyard. First, second and third floor are a hotel with 120 rooms of different sizes. There are single rooms, double rooms, suites and junior suites. On the second floor are a gym, spa, conference room, multi-use hall, café, bar, restaurant and laundry facilities. First and third floor are where the guest rooms are located. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth floor in the south-eastern and western parts are apartments, and in the north east - from the Hospital- is a club restaurant. The apartments have a high standard due to their location on the highest floors. We have apartments with 2 and 3 bedrooms. The majority of apartments are 2 and 3 bedroom duplex. We also offer apartment duplex’s with a private roof terrace and 4 bedroom duplex apartments. Regardless of the location, all apartments have private terraces or balconies overlooking the old town. The building has three large terraces. One terrace is available for the apartment owners where there is a swimming pool for residents and a relaxation area. Another terrace is accessible from the hotel. The last terrace is a part of the club - restaurant. Club restaurant is located on floors 4 and 5 with entrance from the hotel. On the floor 6 has an observation deck with a swimming pool and bar.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND SOLUTIONS
The material used in the internal and external facades is ceramic. This is due to the desire to establish the tradition of the place - The Pottery Courtyard. The external facade uses more neutral elements - brick with horizontal dimensions of 300x30x65mm in colors from white to sand in places and glazed inflected in vertical stripes in order to reflect the nature of the closest city centers. Internal construction is a glass wall with ceramic louvres. The louvres are designed with elements of glazed ceramic extradited in colors of cobalt blue by cobalt mixed with white to green 5045 refers to the shape of the movement while working with clay on the potter's wheel. The ceramic units are curved elements with a fluid shape, because the study of ceramic components for the project is for us a very important part of the work done in collaboration with artistic ceramics workshop prototypes of both elements of the facade. The roof is designed to be "green" or in the form of a utility terrace. The supporting structure of the building will be designed as concrete. Ceramic interior partitions. Carpentry and joinery window frames with glass layered with a void filled with Argon. External doors and aluminum joinery commercial area.
Standard installations necessary for the use of this type of building. It provided the use of fire protection systems required by the regulations. In addition, it is proposed to use elements of energy-saving underfloor heating, air conditioning and LED lighting.
