Sensitivity, integration and respect for the site – ‘Gateway to the Forest’ by WXCA emphasises context and the power of the forest
Xylopolis, designed by the WXCA team, is intended to blend harmoniously with the beauty of the Białowieża Forest thanks to its light, pavilion-like form, natural materials and a holistic approach to its surroundings. The jury of the competition for the Centre for Wood Art and Science in Hajnówka recognised this nod to nature by awarding it first place.
“The starting point for our concept - and indeed for the site development and the shaping of the building’s form itself - was nature: the landscape and natural environment of the Białowieża Forest. We were keen to create a structure that blends organically into its surroundings. This tectonic, pavilion-like form opens out onto the forest, which serves as a living exhibit,” said Michał Czerwiński, associate partner at WXCA and co-author of the project.
According to the jury, the design convincingly addresses the need to create a complete piece of architecture, rooted in a specific place and sensitive to its natural and cultural context.
“We believe that wise architecture is a practice in which the essence of building is confronted with the reality of a place and its conditions in the context of time,” emphasised the competition jury.
The Xylopolis Landscape Park
The Xylopolis concept is not limited solely to architecture. The design team also planned the surroundings so that the pavilion blends into the local landscape and engages in a dialogue with it. In the ‘Gateway to the Forest’ project, it invites visitors into the forest, whilst part of the educational programme is taken outside the building: onto terraces, squares, paths and green spaces. The whole project has been designed with respect for the existing ecosystems: to preserve the most valuable parts of the forest, incorporating solutions for water retention and the protection of biodiversity.
“The forest will not merely serve as a backdrop to the architecture, but will be its most important context and co-creator. That is why we decided to create a place that would allow a gradual transition from architecture to landscape - from exploring wood as a material and technology, through culture and science, to the direct experience of the forest,” noted Marta-Sękulska Wrońska, architect and partner at WXCA.
In the design, timber is simultaneously the theme, the material and the building tool. The architecture of Xylopolis is based on a distinctive timber structure. The regular, modular structure combines the natural character of the material with the precision of contemporary structural solutions. Extensive glazing and green roofs reinforce the relationship between the interior and the forest. Thanks to the use of a timber structure, the building itself becomes part of the narrative of contemporary, low-carbon construction and the potential for using timber in modern architecture.
What the trees are whispering about
At the heart of ‘The Gateway to the Forest’ will be a multifunctional, interactive exhibition, whose narrative will be based on the metaphor of a tree’s life. The other functions of Xylopolis will be centred around this: temporary exhibitions, workshops, a conference and performance hall, a media library, a café, and spaces for meetings and events. The programme has been designed so that the individual functions can operate as part of a single experience, but also independently of one another. The opportunity for direct contact with the landscape will play an important role - the interiors flow seamlessly into the external terraces, squares and paths leading towards the forest. Science, culture and education can take place both indoors and directly in the forest - through experiencing its landscape and the processes associated with wood.
“We wanted the building itself to speak of wood - not only through its programme, but also through its structure. Xylopolis is intended to be a place where one can see, touch and experience the potential of wood, both as part of a natural ecosystem and as a material for contemporary architecture,” added Michał Czerwiński.
A ‘gateway’ open to new possibilities
“The strength of the design lies in its well-defined scale and the building’s semi-open structure,” the jury explained in justifying their choice.
This system allows for the exhibition programme and the relationships between the various functions and the surrounding forest to be shaped freely. The chosen solution paves the way for the further development of Xylopolis - the modular structure allows for future expansion without compromising the clarity of the composition. In the judges’ view, Xylopolis unites architecture, landscape and programme into a single whole, and its value stems primarily from the way in which the architecture establishes a relationship with the site and proposes a model for exploring it.
Green projects
Xylopolis is not the first WXCA project in which the question of the relationship between humans and nature serves as the starting point for the architecture. In the studio’s concepts, the existing landscape becomes one of the project’s raw materials, and the role of architecture is often to create the conditions for people to rediscover and experience it anew. This approach can be found both on the large scale of the urban landscape and in projects where the specific conditions of a particular site serve as the starting point. From the geological landscape of Chęciny, through the urban ecosystem of Pole Mokotowskie and the historic Ulrich Gardens, right up to the vicinity of the Białowieża Forest, a similar principle recurs: design begins with a careful examination of what already exists. The architects at WXCA design in such a way as to enhance existing values, reveal natural processes and create the conditions for people to reconnect with nature.
The WXCA design team: Michał Czerwiński, Małgorzata Bonowicz, Andrzej Bulanda, Tomasz Czuban, Anna Dobek-Lenczewska, Gabriela Siljanoska, Mateusz Sokołowski, Michał Sokołowski, Szczepan Wroński.
In collaboration with:
TopoScape (landscape architecture): Justyna Dziedziejko, Magdalena Wnęk.
WSP Polska (structural consultancy): Krzysztof Bielazik and Aleksander Glegoła
Mukko Studio and Michał Sokołowski (visualisations)
WXCA is a team of architects who together form an interdisciplinary design studio operating in the fields of architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture. Their work is characterised by sensitivity to context - both of place and society - whilst their wide-ranging experience enables them to deliver complex projects where high functionality and the quality of space are the top priorities.
