Interview with the Managing Director of ACCIONA Nieruchomości and the architect of the Kamienna 28 investment

On the very bank of the Motława River, overlooking the water and surrounding greenery, in a former factory district undergoing an impressive revitalization, close to Gdańsk’s Old Town, yet in a completely different, intimate world, lies KAMIENNA 28, a development filled with the spirit of history. Here, future residents will enjoy peace and the most beautiful things about Gdańsk.

It seems a new player has entered the Tricity real estate market. Is KAMIENNA 28 your first Tricity investment?

Katarzyna Unold, Managing Director of ACCIONA Real Estate in Poland: KAMIENNA 28 is our first investment in Gdańsk, but we are also simultaneously developing the ZBOŻOWA investment in Gdynia. As ACCIONA, we were eager to enter the Tri-City market and were keen to find our own pied-à-terre in Gdańsk, a project that would also serve as ACCIONA’s future headquarters in the Tri-City. This is precisely what happened with KAMIENNNA 28 – located on Kamienna Grobla in Gdańsk’s Lower Town.

This former district of factories and businesses has certainly been disenchanted in recent years thanks to revitalization. What attracted you to this location?

K.U.: Lower Town is currently undergoing a thorough and well-thought-out revitalization. Both the city and private investors are involved, including through public-private partnerships. A well-understood process of social gentrification is underway here. New developments have opened, sparking a new character for this district, combining the so-called Bohemian style and design. The proximity of Granary Island and the tourist center of Gdańsk benefits Dolne Miasto, but the district is much quieter and more focused on comfortable living. Recreational areas and nearby bastions add to its charm. We’ve seen Dolne Miasto develop year after year. There’s a vibrant civil society, including the Dolne Miasto Neighborhood Energy Incubator and Storytellers, and the Łaźnia Contemporary Art Center. At the same time, this district is very close to the center of Gdańsk and all its major tourist attractions.

It’s also one of the few parts of Gdańsk where most buildings survived World War II. Your investment, incidentally, is a piece of history.

K.U.: The project itself is very interesting, as it involves the renovation of a factory building that, in the 19th century, was an oil mill belonging to Wilhelm Theodor Behrennd.

Paweł Szczygieł, President of the Management Board of the POTEARCHITEKCI studio, where the KAMIENNEJ 28 design was created: After the war, numerous workshops were located there – paint shops, upholstery shops, and even a car repair shop. In short, it was a multi-functional facility that changed its functions over the years. The last, and most remembered, one in Gdańsk was the Batycki handbag and leather goods factory.

Your adventure with Kamienna 28, however, began earlier; please let me know a little more…

P.SZ.: The design was created by me and my studio for a competition open to several design firms, organized in 2016/2017 by the previous investor, and it won. Dolne Miasto is my hometown, so I was all the more keen to present an interesting concept. When I first visited this historic building, it contained a wealth of original elements, as well as remnants of the Batycki factory, such as cutting dies, bag cutters, materials, rolls, and scrolls. I wanted to evoke this by using semi-transparent perforated meshes—white and dark graphite—in the design, covering a courtyard carved into the historic structure. When the building is closed, this idea appears as a canvas stretched across the entire building’s facade, behind which lie windows, corridors, and glazing. However, the mesh panels can also be opened, and then the whole thing comes alive, and the building resembles Mrs. Batycka’s matrix. So that was the first idea: to reference the function the city knows best.

And the second idea?

P.SZ.: This, in turn, refers to good revitalizations of Western European buildings—that is, the juxtaposition of contrasts. When revitalizing an old building, the old fabric is clearly distinguished from the new, added to show the viewer the layers of layers. We, while preserving the historic part of the building—the front and side facades, and the old windows mirrored 1:1—added a new structure on top of it, using strong contrast, which stands out significantly. This approach was well-received by the conservator and the City Hall architects.

K.U.: I’m also an architect and I adhere to the same principle: when revitalizing, you shouldn’t lie. If there’s old architecture, we recreate it, but you shouldn’t forcefully rebuild artificial historical structures, as that would look disingenuous. Simplicity in contrast to historic buildings is an approach that works very well in highlighting the qualities of historical architecture. Such projects can be found in Germany, England, and the Netherlands.

The development is under the supervision of a heritage conservator – what impact did this have on the design itself?

P.SZ.: Our idea as an architectural firm was to leave these buildings unchanged in their outline, shape, and scale. The elements we retained, due to conservation guidelines and to preserve the character of this old building, are the historic staircase and facades. Therefore, the building’s urban design remained unchanged, but we modified it internally, for example, by adding a courtyard that illuminates the interiors. We also retained the hanging passage between the two buildings, dividing it into two parts and doubling it, thus adding a view of the river and the courtyard.

And what distinguishes the apartments in this development?

P.SZ.: The interiors of the apartments are characterized by their unusual height and are designed for loft-style living. Those on the ground floor are almost 4.5 meters high and have large windows. A mezzanine with a view could be created there. We also added a new floor, in complete contrast to the historic structure – matte black, dynamic like a ship. Its facade doesn’t perfectly follow the historic facade, but curves so that each upper apartment has a view of the river and the sunset.

K.U.: We designed elegant interiors for the upper floors, reminiscent of large, attractive bourgeois apartments. “Understated elegance” was our design motto here. However, we proposed completely different interiors in the new building facing Jałmużnicza Street. The smaller units with characteristic balconies are definitely Japandi style.

How many apartments are there in total in all the buildings?

K.U.: There are 33 apartments in the old building and 32 in the new one. Their floor areas vary greatly, ranging from 39.5 to 139 m² in the historic section and from 24 to 72 m² in the modern building facing Jałmużnicza Street.

P.SZ.: This project doesn’t have a set development structure. We wanted the apartments to be very diverse. It’s a boutique development with something for everyone.

What kind of clients will these apartments appeal to?

K.U.: A major advantage of KAMIENNA 28 is its scale – it’s a small building. Currently, the apartments are being purchased by people who want to live here, even if it’s their second home. Those who appreciate the elegance and tranquility of the Lower Town combined with the impressive architectural design of this revitalization will certainly feel at home here. Interest in the building is enormous, both among residents of the Tri-City area and from other parts of Poland.

What stage is the project at?

K.U.: The general contractor began construction in the second half of last year. The apartments will be completed by the end of 2025. This is a rather lengthy construction process due to archaeological research, the need to preserve the exterior facades, and BREEAM certification, which is a much more complicated process in revitalization projects than in new developments. However, sales are already underway; we are currently selling apartments primarily in the historic building.

Did you mention the world-leading BREEAM certification?

K.U.: All of our investments are certified under this system, and additionally, all new ACCIONA investments must comply with the EU taxonomy. We are taking a more difficult path here, with an absolute requirement of 10% less primary energy than required by law. It’s a difficult task, but it is achievable.

P.SZ.: BREEAM certification is still rare in revitalized residential buildings, as it’s a long and complicated process. Because ACCIONA is a Spanish company, we see a more Western approach to environmental protection and design issues, ahead of its time.

Let’s expand on this – what kind of company is ACCIONA?

K.U.: First and foremost, real estate is a small, albeit very prestigious, part of ACCIONA’s business. ACCIONA, on the other hand, is primarily a corporation listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange, present in 60 countries on five continents, specializing in renewable energy sources, water, and broadly defined sustainability. In keeping with the company’s DNA, what we build must be consistent with the principles of sustainable development.

And what is the future of ACCIONA in the Tricity area?

K.U.: We are certainly not ending our activities at KAMIENNA 28 and ZBOŻOWA Streets; we intend to stay here for a very long time.

A jaka jest przyszłość ACCIONA w Trójmieście?

K.U.: Na pewno nie kończymy naszej aktywności na KAMIENNEJ 28 i ZBOŻOWEJ, zamierzamy zostać tu na bardzo długo.