The Skeleton (Treimorfa) will grow up to 110 meters high!
Municipal architects have agreed for construction of additional levels of ‘the Skeleton’ which will reach 110 meters. ‘This is the first step to reach a compromise’, jointly agree the municipal architects and the investor.
History of this unfortunate skyscraper is a never ending story. Construction of this steel structure was discontinued at the end of the 70`s due to the economic crisis. This is why its bare skeleton has been towering over the city for over 30 years.
Finally a long awaited signs of a breakthrough have appeared. The Municipal Urban and Architectural Board has agreed that ‘the Skeleton’s’ structure can be raised 20 meters. ‘We are looking for a compromise. We wouldn’t like to see the investor resigning from the projects and the structure haunting the city for another 30 years’, says Piotr Gajewski, member of the Municipal Urban and Architectural Board, president of SARP (Association of Polish Architects).
We don’t want another Palace of Culture and Science
During the last sitting of the Board its members have approved of the skeleton’s construction design which assumes raising of its height up to 110 meters. The structure will appear more slender and will no longer dominate the city.
‘The building does need a coping and that is why we declare our support for the investor’, explains prof. Andrzej Wyżykowski, the chief architect of Cracov. The municipal architects have also accepted the concept of ‘the skeleton’s’ tower presented by a German designer prof. Hans Kollhoff. They have also agreed for construction of additional buildings surrounding the tower on condition that their height will not exceed 25 meters. Architects from the Municipal Urban and Architectural Board have also decided that the future form of ‘the Skeleton’ should avoid decorative elements and unnecessary historic architectural borrowings.
‘The modernized skeleton shouldn’t look like the Palace of Culture and Science or the American skyscrapers from the beginning of the last century. We have come to the conclusion that a cupola coping is not such a good idea. A stepped coping seems a much better idea since it makes the tower seam more slender. This is a proper type of architecture for Cracov. It is both elegant and sets up high standards. It does not resemble popular commercial architecture typical for Warsaw’, says Gajewski.
Architects visit the president
Two weeks ago, during the meeting of Jacek Majchrowski – the president of Krakow – prof. Hans Kollhoff and the representatives of GD&K Group (one of the two shareholders of the skeleton, the second shareholder is Verity Development) have tried to break the impasse which has lasted for years. Everything seems to have gone well. The investor has ordered a few alternative design concepts to comply with the recommendations of the board for purpose of this meeting.
‘Architect prof. Kollhoff has suggested lowering of the tower from 144 to 110 meters. So far the issue of the tower’s height has aroused the main objections of the conservatory. It turned out that the conservatory liked the new concept. That is why I think that we are heading for a compromise but we have to wait until the conservatory issued his final decision’, cautiously says Szymon Duda, in charge of GD&K Group, which together with Verity Development is a shareholder in the TreiMorfa project.
‘At this moment, everything depends on the voivodeship conservatory of monuments. According to his last statements, it seems that he will consent to raising of the skeleton’s height’, predicts prof. Wyżykowski.
‘It is a good sign. The investor is really trying to reach a consensus and I see a chance for compromise’, reveals Jan Janczykowski, the voivodeship conservatory of monuments.
'Skeleton' is an obstacle
If the board of conservatories also approves of 110 meter height it is estimated that the project could be commenced in the mid 2010. The new face of the skeleton which has been already named as TreiMorfa Tower will appear to the eyes of the Cracovians in 2012. The building will accommodate apartments, offices and a hotel.
However, not everyone agrees with the decision of the board. ‘This tower should not be raised but lowered by at least four levels. It is not a proper location for a tower building. The skeleton is an obstacle on Cracov`s cityscape’, says Mikołaj Kornecki, architect, chairman of the Cracov`s Rescue Citizens` Board.
Dawid Hajok
2008-09-18
Gazeta Wyborcza Kraków