Riverview
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
The Riverview project comprises 7 top-class residential buildings with retail units erected on the site of a former meat plant. The dual nature of historic Gdańsk – bourgeois eclecticism and Hanseatic architecture – has been reflected in the detailed façades, brick walls and sloping roofs. It has a very special location, hence it reflects the two faces of the city: the first - Protestant in spirit, the second eclectic, baroque. Riverview stands out with its landscape design and sustainability.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
The Riverview project comprises 7 top-class residential buildings with retail units erected on the site of a former meat plant. The dual nature of historic Gdańsk – bourgeois eclecticism and Hanseatic architecture – has been reflected in the detailed façades, brick walls and sloping roofs. The project stands out with its landscape design and sustainable building solutions.
The complex comprises seven buildings connected by an inner courtyard. Its urban layout features many openings facing the Main City and the Ołowianka river, making the structure light, flowing and seamlessly fitting into the neighbourhood. At the same time, when seen from the street’s perspective, the complex forms a compact frontage. In the development there are also offices, green areas and retail units which makes work, services and leisure all easily accessible to its residents. The Riverview complex offers easy access to the city centre. A novelty on the housing market in Poland, all apartments in the complex are offered as ready-to-move units. It is also the first residential development in Poland to receive LEED Gold certification.
The development is located within a listed heritage area. Due to the unique location and planning recommendations, the character of the project alludes to surrounding historical buildings. Its designers have also analysed how the form of the Riverview complex fits into the city skyline seen from various vantage points. The project was inspired by both the Hanseatic architecture and the eclectic burgher architecture with the aim of creating a modern and timeless development characterised by minimalistic details with high quality finish. The aspect of locality was taken into account when choosing materials and reflected in cooperating with a Polish brickyard seated near Łódź in order to shorten the supply chain. Riverview’s shared space was created in collaboration with the students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.
Key objectives for sustainability
Many environmentally friendly solutions were implemented in the project - it obtained LEED Gold certificate. It is the first residential development in Poland to receive such certificate.
The Riverview project focuses on the introduction of compact bodies, ensuring the correct ratio of the cubature of buildings to their area. The functional glazing protects the interior against overheating during the summer season, and provides the right climate for comfortable use of the apartments. Limiting the area of external walls as well as proper selection of surfaces and location of glazing positively influenced the energy model of buildings.
To ensure greater exposure to the premises, the building blocks with large window glazing have been divided into a higher and a lower part, creating successive plans of different heights.
In order to minimize the risk of overheating the apartments, a simple solution was used, offered by the architecture, i.e. prominent balconies and loggias that shade the glazing of the living rooms. The largest possible number of flats with access to windows on both sides of the building or corner flats were also designed.
What is more, the balconies have details that reduce the risk of thermal bridges and manufacturing errors. They were made of reinforced concrete prefabricated elements connected to the garlands of the building through thermal insulation fasteners. A wooden terrace board was used to finish them. This solution is very simple and eliminates a number of problems both at the stage of construction and use of buildings.
In the case of Riverview, ceramic façades made of brick were used, which is a durable and natural material. A brick that would give the best possible authenticity was sought. It was especially important that vis-à-vis the Gdańsk Crane, no material appeared that would look foreign and did not match the existing urban fabric.
Greenery and elements of small architecture were carefully selected.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The development is located within a listed heritage area. Due to the unique location and planning recommendations, the character of the project alludes to surrounding historical buildings. Its designers have also analysed how the form of the Riverview complex fits into the city skyline seen from various vantage points. The project was inspired by both the Hanseatic architecture and the eclectic burgher architecture with the aim of creating a modern and timeless development characterised by minimalistic details with high quality finish. The aspect of locality was taken into account when choosing materials and reflected in cooperating with a Polish brickyard seated near Łódź in order to shorten the supply chain. Riverview’s shared space was created in collaboration with the students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. Young artists designed and produced the elements of small architecture. The shared green areas are full of luscious plants. Additional soil required for planting trees was heaped in soft hillocks that smoothly blend in with their surroundings. The panel over the underground car park was designed with the intended trees arrangement in mind.
View corridors from Na Stępce Street open to the river panorama. The inner courtyard was elevated above the street level to both enhance the riverside landscape experience and ensure privacy for the complex’s residents. To provide better light exposure of the apartments, the buildings’ large glass façades were divided into higher and lower parts thus enhancing the final effect. The buildings’ structure is based mainly on reinforced concrete frame structures with particular focus on the building envelope which had to provide relevant anchorage and support the load of façade bricks. The complex has wooden rafter roofs. The buildings feature cavity walls and ventilated façades, while the majority of the complex has the exterior finish of bricks manufactured at a brickyard with a one-hundred-year-old history.
Key objectives for inclusion
Riverview is a modern residential project (232 apartments, 21 retail and 29 office units) located in the beating heart of Gdańsk, adjacent to the buildings supervised by the monuments conservator. This location required appropriate approach from the early start of work to its very end. Matching the new buildings (with a top-notch technical specification) to the unique nature of this location was a task that required countless analzyes, mock-ups and dialogue with local officials and the community. An additional challenge was the implementation of pro-ecological solutions – the project is certified in the LEED system, at the Gold level.
The project was inspired by both the Hanseatic architecture and the eclectic burgher architecture with the aim of creating a modern and timeless development characterised by minimalistic details with high quality finish. The aspect of locality was taken into account when choosing materials and reflected in cooperating with a Polish brickyard seated near Łódź in order to shorten the supply chain.
Results in relation to category
In line with the idea of placemaking, we have restored the once abandoned areas to people: the inhabitants of Gdańsk and numerous tourists. We are always happy to see the photos taken by them that appear on instagram.
Our proposed design solutions met with a positive buzz from the very beginning. In order to present our vision of the project in detail, we organized many meetings and site visits with representatives of the investor and communities of interest. It was also important in the context of the sale of residential units by the investor and marketing activities. We worked together as one team, and that is why from the early start all our activities were characterized by deep knowledge of the subject and well-thought-out actions. Consistent and effective communication of the project continues to this day.
An attractive project was created, distinguished by a top-notch technical specification of the buildings and its unique atmosphere. Experts, residents of Gdańsk and the tourists appreciate the architecture of the project.
How Citizens benefit
Riverview is an open, people-friendly place where you feel good. It is a perfect destination for walks, romantic dates, and a popular trail for runners. It is not another exclusive gated (hided behind a wall) estate, but an area friendly to people - Gdańsk residents, including neighbors. It is a place that perfectly blends in with the urban fabric and replaced the disordered and unattractive space (avoided by the inhabitants of Gdańsk).
The aspect of locality was taken into account when choosing materials and reflected in cooperating with a Polish brickyard seated near Łódź in order to shorten the supply chain. Riverview’s shared space was created in collaboration with the students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. Young artists designed and produced the elements of small architecture. The shared green areas are full of luscious plants. Additional soil required for planting trees was heaped in soft hillocks that smoothly blend in with their surroundings. The panel over the underground car park was designed with the intended trees arrangement in mind.
Conservator, residents, city officials, artists, lanscape architects, and prominent experts were involved in the creation of the project at its many stages.
Thanks to the dialogue with civil society, it was possible to create a project at the highest level, which is friendly to both the environment and people (both residents, their neighbors and tourists). The goal of blending in with the surrounding urban fabric has been achieved. A timeless project was created that is able to lift the future and be a place loved by people for many, many years.
Innovative character
Riverview is an example of a highly modern housing project that fits perfectly into the historic urban fabric around and has given the surrounding area a unique, friendly, safe and attractive appearance.
A novelty on the housing market in Poland, all apartments in the complex are offered as ready-to-move units. It is also the first residential development in Poland to receive LEED Gold certification.
The fact that it is a place distinguished by experts' sympathy, loved by people, liked by residents and enjoyed by civil society is a very positive impulse that makes Riverview an exceptionally good and timeless showcase of sustainable architectural thought. The applied architectural solutions, modern thinking and the use of sustainable solutions make this place timeless - able to carry time and be loved by the next generations of Gdańsk residents.
