On 24 January 2023, exactly a year passed since the signing of the agreement by Unibep SA for construction of the campus of Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. This presents a great opportunity to visit the construction site and find out at which stage the current works are.
Unibep, as the General Contractor, had a range of preparatory works to complete from the first day its staff entered the construction site. These works included conducting soil tests, carrying out ground works, and performing demolitions. Then, the construction staff started the reinforced concrete works of the building’s underground. Currently, the work is in progress and it involves, among other things, the construction of reinforced concrete walls, columns and floors. The construction of an underground car park on second basement level has also been started . Parallelly, the works on construction of the main concert halls at the basement level have also been started, and their progress stage in terms of reinforced concrete works is as follows: Chamber Hall – 35%, Symphonic Hall – 35%, Theatrical Hall – 35%, and Rehearsal Hall – 15%. Moreover, the reinforced concrete works at level zero have already started.
As indicated by the construction team, all underground works are planned to be completed in early April, allowing for the continuation of further works related to the construction of the aboveground structure.. Then, in the perspective of two or three months, they plan to start the implementation of sanitary and electrical works.
The level of progress is really impressive, however due to the wide and complicated scope of works to perform, the construction staff face many challenges every day.
“Currently, we are in the process of designing and preparing for the construction the aluminium façade. This is a very complicated part of the project that needs to be done in a 3D model. It is supposed to reflect a wave in the pond located in the land plot of the investment,” explained Paweł Prażmowski, Contract Director at Unibep SA. “What is more, the facility meets high standards for acoustic and passive requirements. The suppliers of aluminium systems do not have the required documents and tests that would enable the implementation of the facade in accordance with the project guidelines. It is necessary to conduct additional analyses in accredited laboratories in Germany or Switzerland,” he added.
The acoustic parameters required by the Ordering Party, which Unibep must achieve in each of the concert halls represent another crucial aspect for the entire investment. Simultaneously, they demand significant effort and hard work from the construction team. As indicated by the Contract Director, the creation and approval of workshop documentation in many cases take over a year. However, this stage of the construction processes is indispensable for achieving the final effect, which is the creation of concert halls with the highest level of acoustics.
A few words about the campus of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz
The construction agreement of the new campus of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz was officially signed on 24 January 2022. The activities of the university, which have been located in eight buildings in Bydgoszcz so far, will be transferred to a new building of the Academy of Music. The facility will comprise approximately 644 rooms. The heart of the building will be the concert halls: the symphonic concert hall, the chamber concert hall, the organ concert hall, and the theatre and opera hall. The General Contractor is obliged to meet the highest requirements for their functional, acoustic, and aesthetic standards.
The building was designed in a passive standard with a strong emphasis on use of the renewable energy sources and maximum energy efficiency. In this respect, it will certainly be the most modern facility of this type in Poland.
Unibep constructs cultural facilities
Unibep as the General Contractor has experience in constructing cultural facilities. The company transferred for use Świętokrzyska Philharmonic Hall in Kielce in 2011. The concert hall alone, including the library, stage, and backstage, has an area of nearly 3,000 square metres. The versatility of the concert hall and chamber hall allows for not only for performance of concerts but also small theatrical performances, movie screenings, conference organization, and other artistic activities.
And in 2013, Unibep completed the construction of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Centre of Art in Białystok. The total area of this complex is over 16,000 sq. m. and its usable area is almost 13,000 sq. m. Currently, this is the biggest artistic institution in the north-east part of Poland and the most modern centre of cultural life in this part of Europe.
