Stadion Polonii Warszawa (II) – design description

The concept received the third prize during architectural competition for new sports and leisure complex of Polonia Warszawa. The jury's opnion can be found below:

The proposed sculptural forms of new volumes associate well in form and height to the historical building. Consequently introducing contemporary architecture, not imposing onto the heritage of the site, authors show exceptional respect for the existing context. New facilities fon't dominate the current west stand, rather harmonise with it.

The work is distinguished by its focus on the north-south axis of the ensemble, combined with removing car traffic from the space between indoor hall and anciliary sports facilities. The central plaza is divided into two zones of varying character: green buffer with parking entries in the west and representative part at the heart of the complex. This way, the inattractive and accidental architecture on the other side of the road has been sealed off.

The proposed stadium form with corners left open, distinctive for local stadiums, made its scale more fitting for its urban context, additionally opening the stadium towards the city and surrounding landscape. The form used enables the creation of a less monumental complex, weaving it subtly into the urban fabric. It also facilitates field maintenance.

Jury sees the vision's disadvantages in the plinth surrounding all of the stadium and limiting access, as well as in the northern volume that narrows the entry zone. Some proposed functional features were seen as arguable, especially in the areas of team bus and players' entrance zones.