Client: University of Wrocław
Location: Wrocław, Poland
Completion date: 2019
Project Team
Artist
Tomasz Urbanowicz
ARCHIGLASS
Artist
Konrad Urbanowicz
ARCHIGLASS
Architect
Andrzej Kamiński
PKZ A-R-S sp. z o.o.
Industry Resource
Karol Hostyński
Hostal
Contractor
Tomasz Urbanowicz
ARCHIGLASS
Contractor
BGS System
Contractor
ELEKTROWOLF
Consultant
Zbigniew Donocik
Consultant
Krzysztof Wołowski
Illumination
Ewa Reszka
FAGERHULT Sp. z o.o.
Photographer
Maciej Lulko
Overview
Glass art EGG, located in the entrance hall, built in 1737 between the main building of the University of Wrocław and the University’s Church, is a unique visual solution of a difficult design task – the necessity of introducing a new function – concierge desk in the baroque interior of the Main Building of the University of Wroclaw. In Portuguese barroco means “pearl of irregular shape”, in Italian – strangeness, atypicality. The EGG, fitting this character and carrying a rich positive symbolism, constitutes a modern and visually contrasting architectural component, a work of art that combines individual and unique artistic features.
Goals
The project of redesigning the main entrance to the historic building of the University of Wrocław included the obligation to adapt the facility to the needs of all students, employees, visitors, etc. including also disabled people. Therefore, as part of the project, the architect and his team had to propose a new concierge desk in the baroque transition gate, included in the highest conservation protection zone. The Municipal Conservator of the City insisted, that any additional element placed in this special area should be unique, site-specific and form a work-of-art visual object. The EGG's concept was designed in 2014 by arch. Tomasz Urbanowicz as a response to a request from arch. Andrzej Kamiński to propose an external shape of the concierge desk. The designed idea has been approved by the Municipal Conservator of Wroclaw, arch. Katarzyna Hawrylak-Brzezowska, Rector's Counselor for Monument's Conservation and the Chancellor. Rector of the Univeristy of Wroclaw, prof. Marek Bojarski, approved the implementation of the EGG's concept. The 5,5 metres high composition consists of almost 50 pieces, casted in 850°C of artistic glass in author's atelier - ARCHIGLASS.
Process
arch. Andrzej Kamiński and arch. Tomasz Biegun were resposible for the architectural project of the reorganization of the entire entrance to the Main Building of the University. The EGG's concept, first designed in 2014 by arch. Tomasz Urbanowicz, has been elaborated and specified in detail three years later in ARCHIGLASS atelier, in collaboration with arch. Konrad Urbanowicz. The relief texture on the glass elements is continuous and follows a pattern of naturally created rings in a wooden model of the EGG, scale 1:5, hand sculpted in a lime tree trunk by Tomasz Urbanowicz. Each of the 47 kiln-formed glass elements is different, designed and realized for its specific location. The EGG's precise size and exact partitions' design had to be perfectly matched with the interior box of a funcional concierge desk. The final parameters of the structure behind the kiln-formed casted glass elements forming the EGG, has been consulted with engineer Zbigniew Donocik and laser-cut in stainless steel and mounted on-site by Hostal. One of some serious tasks to deal with was a special solution for the entrance to the interior of the EGG - The concept of automatic sliding doors has been solved by prof. Krzysztof Wołowski.