The team at RMJM Prague recently placed fourth in Polish competition for a mixed-use development in the city of Gdynia. RMJM Prague’s design drew on the city’s historic identity as a small fishing village and later as a prominent Polish seaport.
The team’s concept was a tribute to the fishermen founders of the city while also paying homage to the marine architecture of the region. The 2 residential towers were inspired by the sails of a boat, curving in all three dimensions. The cladding of these towers was composed of a frosted glass that created a light, translucent envelope that again evoked the imagery of a ship’s sails.
Image © RMJM Prague
“Our driving concept for this design was for the project to be rooted in its environment and yet to feel that, like a ship, it sways and turns with the winds. We wanted the design to be still, yet moving” says Abhinav Goel, Lead Architect. Taking lessons from the events of 2020 and the prevailing global pandemic, the team emphasised the importance of access to private outdoor spaces.
For that reason, they ensured that all the apartments in the tower included private balconies. Along with private outdoor space, the rooftops of the towers held a common garden space for the residents, populated with lush greenery to tie in with the ground-level landscaping the team envisioned. Continuing with the sailing theme, the office building within the development, placed strategically at the forefront of the site, was shaped to embody the keel of a ship.
Image © RMJM Prague 
Image © RMJM Prague
Again, the roof is linked to the surroundings through curated gardens, this time across a series of stepped green terraces. Completing the oceanic imagery, the central piazza, shaped by the curved surfaces of the surrounding buildings emulates the organic shape of a conch shell.
RMJM Prague have been going from strength to strength in recent months and with this latest design have proven that their attention to detail and dedication to the cultural context of their projects can create beautiful and meaningful designs that speak to their local communities. Source and images Courtesy of RMJM Prague.