We decided to redefine an abandoned hospital “Stalownik” in Bielsko-Biała- the city in Poland where we live. Stalownik was built in 1968 and it was one of the greatest hospitals in Poland. Unfortunately, it was closed in 2001, and from that time the hospital is empty. The building is in a wonderful location- it is situated at the foot of the mountain, on the forested hill, but still, it is only 6 kilometers from the city center.  

We were thinking about what kind of function would be the most suitable for that location and would have the greatest impact on our community. It was important for us to create a place for the residents of Bielsko-Biała, but also a place, which would invite tourists to visit our lovely city. We decided that it should be the mountain center.

Stalownik is a kind of Bielsko-Biała’s heritage, so we wanted to adapt it with a respect to its existing form.
We kept the original character of the place, but also we refreshed it- we left the building’s original construction, we cut an atrium in the floors and added glass coating. We tried to design affordable and easy to implement building.

People should be near nature – in our Mountain Center, it is possible outdoor and indoor. We changed a typical floor plan and we swapped the corridor with main functions. Thanks to it, it is possible to walk around on 8 floors and enjoy the mountain view from different angles. On the building’s roof, there is a large outdoor garden, where visitors can feel even closer to the mountains and just relax.

We divided the building into 3 functions. On the 8 floors, there is a shaft with wellbeing and culture function, and a shaft with a sports function, while the whole 9th and 10th floor have a hotel function. In the building, visitors can find for example a library, restaurant, café, spa, climbing wall, sports center, small cinema, or room of senses.