wiercinski studio recycles 23 shipping containers to build a cultural center in poznan

in poznan, poland, wiercinski studio has used timber boxes and recycled shipping containers to define a temporary public space. designed for the kontenerart arts and culture initiative in 2019, the project occupies an area between the city’s old gasworks and the popular ‘wartostrada’ cycle path.

aerial view of kontenerart 19

images by przemysław turlej, adam wiercinski

the use of shipping containers ensured a speedy construction and the possibility to easily remove the units from the site. comprising 23 in total, the containers house a meeting room and gallery, a music and workshop studio, various food outlets, an office, warehouses and toilets. between the warehouses, there is also a stage for concerts and artistic events. this area is enclosed with wooden boxes with seats and shading devices. 

aerial view of the site entrance

the boxes and containers were arranged in such a way as to create a safe internal space next to the busy cycle path, which is the main advantage for guests with children. a large tree grows in the center of the site. with the tree providing valuable shade during the day, a timber platform was built around it for people to sit. some of the containers are also topped with a 3229 ft2 (300 m2) roof terrace overlooking the river, the cathedral and the eastern part of the city. the stairs leading to the terrace are designed as a grandstand facing the stage.

the site entrance

to unify the recycled shipping units, they have been painted in white. creating a fresh, neutral object on the city’s panorama, the bright color also helps to reduce overheating inside the metal walls. the main entrance is a ‘gate’ with a dominant height, clearly visible from the beach and the bicycle path. this front gate elevation features black-painted forms and shapes, which are an enlarged and cropped fragment of the ‘konte’ inscription by kontenerart. on the south side, where the second entrance is located and the area is narrower and more intimate, the arrangement of wooden forms covered with greenery is exposed.

the wooden boxes covered in greenery

kontenerart has become an inseparable element of poznan’s urban fabric, but it is still a temporary space made of recycled shipping containers. all the other elements, such as the terrace modules and wheelchair-friendly paths, have been designed to universal dimensions so that they can be reused in a different arrangement or location. 

the wooden boxes at the southern entrance

the interior space

the grandstand staircase leading to the terrace

the gate-like entrance

view of kontenerart 19 at night 

the city panorama of poznan

axonometric of the site

kontenerart graphic

project info:

project name: kontenerart 19

type: public, temporary, culture

location: poznan, poland

client: kontenerart

design: wiercinski studio

size: 19,375 ft2 (1,800 m2)

year: 2019

photography: przemysław turlej, adam wiercinski

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom