Belgians to introduce an innovative temporary use concept in Poznań
he Belgian companies of Revive and BPI Real Estate Poland running the joint investment project in Poznań’s Łazarz District intend to handover a portion of the site for a future, large-scale urban project for temporary use. Barracks of Culture (Koszary Kultury) will be built on this plot of land in the city center acquired from MTP Poznań Expo in 2020. Starting with the first weekend of July of this year, workshops and cultural events involving residents will be held in this location. This unique form of using an investment plot will be the first initiative of its kind in Poznań.
The Belgian companies of BPI Real Estate Poland and Revive have established a joint-venture company to conduct this investment in Poznań. The investors’ goal is to handover a portion of the acquired site for temporary use to breathe new life into space that has not been used in a long time. That way Poznań residents, prospective residents and other parties benefiting from the investment will be given an opportunity to get to know this area. This is more than just a means of building a new local community; it will also make it possible to extend the current community. This site is situated between Matejki, Grunwaldzka and Ułańska Streets in Poznań and spans the outdoor space nestled between the buildings comprising the former military barracks under the care of the historical monument preservation authority. This prime location is a mere 2 km away from the city center and a 10 minute walk from the Central Train Station.
“We treat temporary use as a means of integrating the local community. Our intention is to provide attractive space that has not been used thus far as a place for meetings and space to host cultural events. This is a widespread practice in Belgium. Now we would like to transfer our market experience in this area to Poland. This site in Poznań is an ideal location to do that. I am confident that this unique approach to temporary use will win over the hearts and minds of the residents of the capital city of the Greater Poland region”, remarks Alexandre Huyghe, CEO of Revive.
“We would like to ascribe a new dimension to this space where we intend to implement a modern multi-use project. This space will be made available to the local community, which we consider to be of great importance. This site is a prime location and that means that it truly deserves to be used well. It is only in this manner that space located in the city center can give residents added value. We design our investments with people in mind, meaning their future users. That is why we want our investments to serve the local community before we commence construction”, announces Béranger Dumont, Genera Manager of BPI Real Estate Poland.
Revive, well-known for its brownfield investments in post-industrial and historical sites and BPI Real Estate Poland, its highly experienced partner when it comes to revitalizing urban space would like to popularize temporary use. This is sometimes referred to as “recycling a site” to take advantage of the period in which design and procedural-related activities are conducted to generate a heightened level of activity temporarily through on-site collaboration with residents, artists, non-governmental organizations and other entities conducting cultural and educational activity by making specific space available to the public-at-large. The investors are joining forces with the operator of the Barracks of Culture, namely the company doing business as Ferment Kolektiv to enliven the local quarter. The Belgian investors, BPI Real Estate and Revive intend to implement a mixed-use, large-scale urban project on this site in the near future.
“The Barracks of Culture project is a new and exciting challenge for us. It poignantly illustrates how important responsible cooperation between culture, education and the business community is. We at Ferment Kolektiv are of the opinion that the cinema can change life for the better. We intend to extend our motto to include other disciplines in the Barracks of Culture. Our team will focus on creating conducive conditions for collaboration with the entities we invite to take part in shaping this venue to flourish and on doing what we know how to do best: take advantage of the art of film to communicate universal values”, says Radek Tomasik, the managing partner at Ferment Kolektiv.
This site located in Poznań’s Łazarz District, which has not been in use for a long time will obtain a new and attractive dimension for the residents of the city and the local quarter. In this way the local community will be able to get to know this spot better, as will its future tenants and residents. In turn, the plot acquired by BPI Real Estate Poland and Revive will not be transformed into a new residential district. Instead, it will be enriched through its multi-use construction. Temporary use can vary greatly. However, it must be consistent with the future nature of the venue and the ecosystem in the local community.
When designing urban space more and more attention is being paid to how new developments are aligned to the preexisting urban fabric and how they expand the neighborhood. This site housing the former barracks embodies historic, architectural, natural and cultural heritage. Making this site available to the public is an opportunity to enrich urban space by adding a social dimension to establish the identity of the new venue to be built on the foundation formed by local history and topography. Anna Gruszka, custodian, Poznań-based activist in non-government organizations and animator, previously affiliated with the Gate of Poznań will be responsible for achieving this mission, running the program and collaborating with entities representing all of the various sectors.
The detailed scope of the planned events to be held in the Barracks of C
ulture will be published in the near future.
