The value of the new campus building of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, where the cornerstone was laid on 11 October, is over PLN 400 million. The general contractor of the investment is Unibep SA.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the government, including the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Wanda Zwinogrodzka, Rector of the Musical Academy Zbigniew Ostrowski, Deputy Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship prof. dr hab. Jerzy Kaszuba. The ceremony was also attended by President of the Management Board of Unibep SA Leszek Gołąbiecki, Member of the Council of Ministers Łukasz Schreiber, Voivode of Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship Mikołaj Bogdanowicz, Deputy Mayor of Bydgoszcz Mirosław Kozłowicz, Chancellor of Musical Academy Marek Czerski, and President of the Management Board of Plus3-Architekci Katarzyna Głażewska.
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“When we started our efforts to extend the academy years ago, we heard: “Why should it extend? We will buy you a piano and you can just play it”. Between the time when we are offered just a piano and the moment when the PLN 400 million is being allocated by the government, there is a whole array of events. It is a long story, but I do not regret those years, energy, nor health, which I might have lost a bit,” said Prof. Jerzy Kaszuba, the initiator of the project to build the new campus of the Musical Academy.
Musicians’ dreams come true
The construction of new facilities of Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music, which has been recognised as one of the best Polish music universities, meets the expectations of music community of the city of Bydgoszcz. On 3 hectares in the area of Gdańska and Kamienna Streets, there will be located an architecturally attractive complex of buildings located near a small pond and surrounded by greenery. Apart from rooms dedicated for lessons, there will also be four concert halls and a dormitory. The eight-storey main building will house 644 classrooms and practice rooms. Everything has been planned here with regard to future functionality, tailor-made, so to say.
Present at the ceremony of laying the foundation act for construction of the new campus, Undersecretary of State in Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Wanda Zwinogrodzka read a message from Minister Piotr Gliński to the participants of the ceremony. “The ceremony of laying the cornerstone for construction of the campus of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, which we are celebrating today, is an extremely important event not only for the Academy itself, but for the entire artistic education circles in Poland. It should also be mentioned that among the numerous investments implemented by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the investment in Bydgoszcz is one of the biggest importance. This is so because the final results of the construction will constitute the beginning for development of many musical talents for the next generations,” wrote minister Piotr Gliński.
Deputy prime minister assured that Ministry of Culture and National Heritage will fully support further implementation of the construction. “The ambitious construction plan assumes that the 50th anniversary of the university will be a at the same time the celebration of the opening of the new campus of the Academy of Music,” wrote deputy prime minister. He also noted that “the completion of the investment is an organisational challenge, even if we consider only the financial scale of the investment, as the total cost of this undertaking will exceed PLN 400 million.”
A long way to investment
Rector of the Academy of Music Elżbieta Wtorkowska stressed the fact that efforts leading to construction of the new campus took 10 years. “It seems to be a long time, but this time was marked by tremendous efforts and great work of all those who cared a lot for implementation of this investment,” said the rector.
Construction of the campus of Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music began at the beginning of the year. The investment is financed by the state budget. Currently, the Academy of Music is housed in seven buildings scattered throughout the city.
“The new campus of the Academy of Music will adorn the city and determine the city’s musical power that everyone boasts. I would like to make a very important point. What is happening now, what we see on TV screens, but also on our phones, which is happening past our eastern border, this is something tragic. Here, we can enjoy peace and the fact that beautiful buildings are being built here,” said Voivode Mikołaj Bogdanowicz.
The project came to life in the designing studio Plus3 Architekci. The general contractor, which is company Unibep SA, signed an agreement with the University of Bydgoszcz in January this year. The cost of the entire investment is approx. PLN 400 million, which makes the new campus of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz the most expensive government investment in Bydgoszcz. In 2014, a plot of land worth PLN 9 million was given to the university free of charge by the city of Bydgoszcz.
The work in full swing
The new edifice of the academy is not only to be one of the most modern facilities of this type in Europe. It also has been designed as an energy passive building. Geothermal boreholes performed at the construction site will allow for installation of heat pumps and a photovoltaic installation will be installed on the roof.
The construction works are in full swing. Works on the foundations are underway and in the first weeks of the new year, as predicted by the general contractor, the ‘zero level’ will be reached. Thus, builders will begin constructing the first storey above the ground.
“I would like to thank you for the trust you have placed in us,” said President of the Management Board of Unibep SA Leszek Gołąbiecki. “There are many challenges ahead of us, but we will do everything to overcome them. I would like to thank the investor for the fantastic cooperation on their side. I would also like to thank all our employees for their amazing work. And I count on full commitment, because as we all heard, we are building a facility which will be used for ages.
