2019-06-28

THE .KTW OFFICE COMPLEX. ALUPROF HAS A MAJOR HAND IN KATOWICE TRANSFORMATION

For several years now, the transformation of Katowice has been a matter of urban architecture. At the heart of the process lie the modernisation of the city centre space and the creation of the ‘Culture Zone’. Aluprof aluminium systems are present in all the major structures which stand as symbols of the transformations that are underway. One of them is the .KTW office complex and it is now possible to have a look at the first of the two buildings.

The Great Katowice Transformation

On the land of the former Kopalnia Węgla Kamiennego “Katowice” (Katowice Bituminous Coal Mine), at the heart of this Silesian metropolis with its population of two million, a plan for the revitalisation and transformation of the city has been a work in progress for decades now. The new symbol of all this is the Culture Zone. The model is Germany’s Ruhr Valley in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located little more than a few dozen metres from one another are some of the most prized buildings to have emerged in recent years in Poland, namely, the home of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the International Congress Centre, Muzeum Śląskie (the Museum of Silesia) and the first tower block of the .KTW office complex. Not only .KTW, but also all the other buildings mentioned above feature aluminium systems manufactured by Polish brand Aluprof.

.KTW. Simplicity of form, power of expression and ethos in one

To the creators of the .KTW complex, architects Przemo Łukasik and Łukasz Zagała of the Medusa Group, Silesia stands for the work ethos, conscientiousness, integrity, simplicity and modesty. Nothing done for show, but everything done with thought and imagination. That concept is reflected in the architectural design for .KTW. The first of the two buildings to be constructed has thirty-one storeys above ground, three storeys underground, a 39 900 m² area of office space and 2 100 m² of retail and services space. It brings office, service and public aspects together under the common denominator of contemporary architecture and functional solutions designed with the thought of user comfort and respect for the environment in mind. At this point, it is worth mentioning that the building has received a BREEAM certificate with a rating of ‘very good’.

Made-to-measure solutions for grand architecture


What captures the attention most of all about the building is undoubtedly the spectacular glass façade designed with the participation of the Aluprof brand and incorporating its aluminium systems. The collaboration between the Medusa Group architects and the engineers from Aluprof made it possible to create a segmented façade and build glazing which stunning and also features extremely heavy load-bearing capabilities. The MB-SE85.KTW segment-based, aluminium façade system was designed especially to meet requirements of the development. The Aluprof MB-SR60N Efekt mullion/transom façade was also used for the building, as was the MB-86 SI door, which was inserted into the segment-based façade and the mullion/transom façade. 
As Aluprof’s Director of Commercial Sales, Zbigniew Poraj, explains, “.KTW is another exceptional project that required us to mobilise to the full for our work on a highly prestigious building. We’re proud that our company was trusted once again, that our professionalism and range of innovative solutions were appreciated and that the decision to use Aluprof systems for the buildings was taken. We’re delighted that we’ve had the opportunity of co-creating yet another building that’s part of the unique process of modernising Katowice. The fact that our systems have made their enduring mark on the renewed space of the Culture Zone is a tremendous honour”.

Building of the Year, as judged by its users

The first of the two .KTW towers has already made its mark on Katowice’s transformed space. Residents and the architectural sector alike have voiced their appreciation of it. It took second place in the 2018 Building of the Year Created with Aluprof Systems competition and also won an award on the basis of votes cast by Internet users. One of the architects behind the design, Przemo Łukasik, has emphasised that an award for .KTW is proof positive that, in Poland, “simple can still be on-trend”.

The Culture Zone and Aluprof’s hand in it

The Culture Zone is both a symbol of the transformations which have taken place in Katowice in recent years and a symbol of the massive growth that the Aluprof company has undergone in the past decade. The Bielsko-Biała brand’s advanced, aluminium systems are present not only in the spectacular .KTW tower, but also in other parts of the revitalised space of the city centre, including the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Muzeum Śląskie and the International Congress Centre buildings, as well as many of the others which make up the unique architecture of the Silesian agglomeration.