The OH! Praga building, designed by the Warsaw-based architectural practice Foroom, is situated at 5D Białostocka Street in Warsaw. The development, comprising 185 flats, was created with careful consideration of the multi-layered context of Warsaw’s Praga district. The neighbourhood, home to the former ‘Koneser’ Warsaw Vodka Distillery, railway infrastructure and rapidly developing contemporary buildings, served as the architects’ starting point for creating a design that combines contemporary form with the character of the location.
One of the project’s key principles was to move away from treating the development as a single, large building. The development was divided into two parts, allowing its scale to better suit the diverse surroundings, whilst enabling each building to engage in its own dialogue with the neighbourhood. The light-coloured part of the building echoes the character of Białostocka Street, whilst the brick section references the industrial heritage of Praga and the nearby ‘Koneser’. The rhythm of the windows, balconies and loggias organises the façades, whilst at the same time introducing a variety that corresponds to the scale of the individual parts of the building.
“We wanted to draw out from Praga’s historic architecture what is characteristic of this place: scale, rhythm, material and a certain austerity, and to translate these features into contemporary residential architecture. As a result, the building is not a historical stylisation, yet at the same time it could not have been built in just any location. It is a response to this specific part of Warsaw,” said Bartłomiej Grotte, architect and co-founder of Foroom.
Balconies and loggias have been treated as integral elements of the architecture. Their arrangement contributes to the composition of the façade, whilst also shaping the relationship between the flats and the outdoor space.
The space between the buildings is also a key element of the design. The spacing between the buildings has allowed for the creation of an internal, green courtyard, which serves as a communal space for residents, whilst the gardens and terraces counterbalance the intensity of the urban surroundings. The communal space has not been treated merely as a transport corridor, but as a vital element in the functioning of the entire development.
“In the case of a large-scale housing development, what happens between the buildings is particularly important to us. That is where the day-to-day life of the estate takes place. That is why the courtyard, green spaces, gardens and terraces are as much a part of the architecture as the façades. We wanted to create not just a collection of flats, but a part of the city with its own scale and communal space,” added Bartłomiej Grotte.
The Foroom studio team responsible for OH! Praga
The OH! Praga project also takes into account the railway landscape characteristic of this part of the city. Tracks, embankments, viaducts and transport infrastructure are among the elements that have shaped Praga’s identity over the years. Together with the industrial heritage and traditional buildings, they form a complex context in which contemporary architecture emerges as another layer of the evolving city.
Foroom did not seek to homogenise this environment. The aim was to create a building that retains a contemporary character whilst also incorporating elements clearly linked to the site. The combination of brick and light-coloured render, the division of the building’s mass, and the way the communal spaces are shaped allow for the integration of various references without literally imitating the existing architecture.
“Praga is a place where the successive layers of the city’s development are very clearly visible. Alongside pre-war buildings, we have industrial heritage, the railway and new residential architecture. We didn’t want to obscure this diversity. OH! Praga is meant to be a contemporary building, but at the same time it must be mindful of where it is being built. For us, this is the most important aspect of this project,” concluded Bartłomiej Grotte.
The development at 5D Białostocka Street has been awarded BREEAM certification. Design: Bartłomiej Grotte, Rafał Jedliński, Maciej Pędzich, Konrad Waligóra, Eugeni Frankowski, Aleksandra Kępka, Tadeusz Szaraniec
Foroom is a Warsaw-based architectural practice established in 2005, specialising in residential, office, public, industrial and energy projects. The practice provides comprehensive design services – ranging from investment analyses and architectural concepts to multi-disciplinary documentation and design supervision. The FOROOM team comprises around 20 designers working in collaboration with experienced engineering firms. The studio utilises advanced BIM (Building Information Modelling) technologies, enabling effective management of the design process and optimisation of solutions at every stage of the project. Its portfolio includes both large-scale commercial and residential projects, as well as strategic infrastructure and energy projects.
Further information: www.foroom.com.pl | https://www.instagram.com/foroom_architekci/
Photos: Nate Cook
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