Rotunda PKO BP in Warsaw, Poland by GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Article source: GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

As a result of the resolution of Changing The Face 2013 Rotunda Warsaw competition based on the unanimous decision we undertook the task of preparing a full-discipline, multi-stage design documentation. After five years of work the building that is PKO Bank Polski’s most modern branch has been commissioned today.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

• Architects: GOWINSIUTA STUDIO
• Project: Rotunda PKO BP
• Location: Warsaw, Poland
• Photography: Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

The public square is used in a multi-faceted way satisfying the key needs of people visiting the square depending on the purpose and duration of their visit to the Warsaw City Lounge. The recessed area city square foyer is a response to the social needs expressed during the consultations conducted (among others, a meeting place, a place to rest surrounded by greenery), and it is also in line with the technical and utilization assumptions that are material for the functioning of the Bank’s building (among others, air intakes and exhausts for air conditioning and ventilation installations moved from the square; ensuring the functioning of and access to the altered transformer station; providing side lighting of the work spaces located on level -1; providing emergency exit from level -1).

Rotunda’s public function is accessible via a separate entrance from the city square, from Widok street side. Currently due to the direct vicinity of the construction site access has temporarily been provided by the installed fire-rated tunnel to be dismantled following the completion of the adjacent investment project. A showcase glass entrance zone brings the users to level +4.55m via glass stairs and a panoramic, backpack frame type hydraulic elevator adapted for use by disabled persons. City Lounge’s entrance zone is safely separated from the bank function located on Rotunda’s ground and underground levels.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

City Lounge’s usable space is open. The white cylinder, which is located on Rotunda’s southern entrance’s axis, houses – apart from the ancillary premises and the cafe, also two toilets, including one for disabled persons. Thanks to the cantilevered, all glass stairs anchored to the cylinder’s wall from the building’s southern façade side, it is possible to utilize the upper part of its ceiling as a mezzanine level with cafe style tables. The stairs’ placement next to the facade allows for observation of the urban space around PKO BP Rotunda from multiple levels. The open public space enables locating various public functions within it, in combination with expanding the function of resting in green environment, implemented inside and outside the city foyer – irrespective of weather conditions. Active biological elements that organize space constitute a combination of plant compositions characteristic for the climate of Poland, and therefore they do not require increased care.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Dedicated furniture, equipped with devices that enable charging of personal electronics equipment, allows for conveniently observing urban life in the center of Warsaw, organizing adhoc social meetings and relaxing in high quality space.

The widest part of this level enables setting up musical instruments and seats for the audience in order, for example, to organize periodic cultural evenings and promote young talent. This level’s space (+4.55m) is acoustically insulated from the bank zone located on the lower levels. The use of translucent glass, on the internal glass tambour, provides insight into Rotunda building’s multi-level central space, while allowing, at the same time, for maintaining the privacy of the Bank’s personnel and the operations performed thereby, from persons located in the City Lounge. The emergency exit plan assumes evacuation using two exits to the space closing staircases in the eastern part of Rotunda.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

PKO BP Rotunda Main Hall is located on the ground level, at the place that largely coincides with its historic location. It is also accessible for disabled persons, from the square level, via two showcase entrances located at a 120 degree angle to each other. The entrance zone from Jerozolimskie Avenues side is equipped with a self-service function, based on the standalone (detached) bank’s devices and secured according to the general PKO Bank Polski’s facilities security requirements. Each of the glass wind porches (vestibules) ensures freedom of movement of people in both directions at the same time and parallel use of the self-service zone functions – while respecting the requirements related to the security of conducting transactions and the ergonomics of using bank devices. The entrance zone from Marszałkowska street side allows for accessing the Personal Banking zone, located on level -1, via one-flight stairs in the double facade space, and the backpack frame type, panoramic hydraulic elevator.

A clear and intuitive space layout inviting you to enter the branch, showcases the tectonics of the interior, the wooden ceiling and the centrally located green atrium, exposing the spaciousness, lightness and modernity of the New Rotunda.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Having entered the PKO BP Rotunda branch, a customer may use personal banking services located directly on the entrance axis or pick up a number and go to the cashier (teller) desk zone in the central part placed symmetrically between the main entrances. The consultant (advisor) zones are located opposite the cashier (teller) desks. The operations zone has been designed to reduce the queue wait time by as much as possible – through the use of an extensive visual information system based on LCD displays, clear placement of self-service stations, a convenient and spacious waiting zone equipped with touch panels, a furnished space for parents with children.

Preventing the formation of a queue behind the customer being served and ensuring the privacy of the transactions concluded has been achieved with the use of glass curtains and by physically separating the cashier (teller) and consultant (advisor) desks. The generally accessible zone is physically separated from the limited access zone. The paths of customers and those of employees carrying valuables shall not cross. Three independent staircases equipped with elevators lead to the lower level. The generally accessible communication (of customers) takes place in the double façade space, from Marszałkowska street side.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

It provides access to the Personal Banking Zone located on level – 1. The vertical communication of personnel takes place symmetrically on the opposite side of Rotunda and in the central part of the building around the patio with a biologically active space. In the center, under the glass roof skylight, behind the glass tambour – across the entire height of the building – the common zone for the personnel is located, separated as a limited access zone. The sanitary unit is adapted to accommodate disabled persons.

The entire space is to make an impression of being coherent and homogenous, due to the use of system glass walls, a minimalistic approach to detail and use of natural materials – glass, wood, stone. The wooden ceiling palate is a nod towards the original, already historic, design assumptions for this space. The suspended raster ceiling allows for placing lighting fixtures and other technical elements in dedicated adapters and slots between wooden strips.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Rotunda’s underground houses, among others, social premises for the personnel, including the sanitary unit, changing room and showers, Backoffice team’s premises, Personal Banking team’s premises with a separate generally accessible zone, Directors’ (Managers’) rooms and the Vault’s team, including the server room. Accessibility of the above-mentioned zones is based on vertical communication, implemented using three independent staircases equipped with elevators. The generally accessible communication (of customers) takes place in the double façade space, from Marszałkowska street side.

It provides access to the generally accessible part of the Personal Banking zone. The generally accessible part is equipped with self-service stations. The white cylinder obscures the customers’ sanitary unit and the reception desk’s ancillary premises. The high quality waiting zone is located in the central part of the entrance zone on both sides of the reception desk and it is equipped with touch screen panels, providing access to the information prepared by the Bank. All of the Personal Banking personnel premises are located on level -1. Permanent work premises are ensured daylight through the appropriately secured glass façade, providing insight into the recessed area of the city square foyer, and via the roof skylights in Rotunda’s double façade space. The above-mentioned facade is equipped with an emergency exit, with no possibility to access it from outside. The meeting rooms that do not constitute permanent work places are located opposite the waiting zone and they separate the limited access space from the generally accessible space. The walls of the above described rooms are designed as frosted, semi-translucent, made of safe glass. Their current finishing is a temporary element, aligned to the Bank’s marketing vision – beyond the designers’ control – however, it may be changed over time.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

The limited access zone, located in the remaining part of the described level, is organized around the biologically active space with a showcase staircase and a glass elevator. A conference room is placed in the center – separated with acoustic glass walls. It enables arranging and dividing the space in the ratio of 1:1 with mobile glass panels. Meeting rooms, as well as the sanitary unit of the ancillary premises for the Bank’s personnel, with vertical communication in the eastern façade strip, are located next to the conference room. The premises of the Directors’ (Managers’) team, in the southern part of Rotunda, are ensured daylight through the appropriately secured glass façade with a view onto the green patio, and the roof skylights in Rotunda’s double façade space.

Backoffice premises are located in the eastern part of level -1 and get daylight through the system of roof skylights. The zone that is subject to special security arrangements includes the vault’s vestibule with the cashiers’ (tellers’) reconciliation room and the vault.

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © Gowin&Siuta

Image Courtesy © GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Image Courtesy © GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Image Courtesy © GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Image Courtesy © GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Image Courtesy © GOWINSIUTA STUDIO

Tags: Poland, Warsaw

Categories: Bank, Building, Cafeteria, Interiors, Offices, Renovation

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