Architects moved the office to a former bank. This is what the extraordinary interior of BBGK looks like

An office was built in a historic tenement house at 6 Fredry Street in Warsaw, which is difficult to confuse with a typical work space. The former apartment with an area of ​​650 m² and a height of 5 meters retained the character of the representative interior, but was designed with the work of nearly 70 architects in mind. There are colors, glass, acoustic curtains, a large canteen and a concrete sculpture resembling a table covered with a tablecloth. The new headquarters of BBGK Architekci is both a workplace and a space for talking about architecture.

Instead of an ordinary office, they chose a historic tenement house

For years, BBGK Architekci operated in much less representative conditions. The origins of the studio date back to the cooperation of Jan Belina-Brzozowski and Konrad Grabowiecki, who, after graduating from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology, initially worked as an informal team. In 2010, they founded the company Brzozowski Grabowiecki Architekci.

In the same year, they won the national competition for the Katyn Museum at the Warsaw Citadel. After opening the museum in 2015, the studio received the SARP Award of the Year for the best facility constructed with public funds. Two years later, the project was a finalist in the European Mies van der Rohe Prize.

In 2014, Wojciech Kotecki joined the team. From that moment on, the studio operated as BBGK, after the names of the three partners. Her achievements include, among others: the town hall in Konstancin-Jeziorna, the Music School in Poznań, the concept of the Warsaw Social District, Modern Mokotów and the reconstruction and relocation of the Emilia Pavilion.

When it came time to relocate, the architects initially looked for a large office space. Ultimately, they chose a completely different solution.

“We had been thinking about moving for a long time and finding a new place for BBGK. At the beginning, we considered quite obvious solutions – we were looking for a large office space. Suddenly, this place appeared, completely unique. Interestingly, it was at the opposite extreme of what we imagined our office to be, but after many conversations it turned out that, despite its non-obviousness and eccentricity, it was perfect for us,” comments Konrad Grabowiecki, one of the founders and partner of BBGK.

Former bank, today an architects’ office

The tenement house at 6 Fredry Street was built in 1896–1897 according to the design of Józef Pius Dziekoński. It was designed for the banker Hipolit Wawelberg as the headquarters of Bank Zachodni. For decades, Fredry Street was one of the important financial addresses in Warsaw.

Today, the building is at the very center of the changes taking place in the capital. From the balconies of the new office, you can see the area where the Saxon Palace, Brühl Palace and the frontage on Królewska Street are being rebuilt.

BBGK occupies the second floor of the tenement house. A monumental marble staircase leads to the former apartment. The space itself has an area of ​​650 m² and is as much as 5 meters high. It was the scale and historical nature of the interior that made the designers not try to create a typical office.

The office is supposed to resemble an apartment

The entrance area has been designed differently than the classic reception area. Guests and employees are greeted by a neon sign with the BBGK logo, and the central point is a concrete sculpture made in 3D technology. Its form resembles a table covered with a tablecloth.

“We wanted the entrance to be representative and legible, but at the same time more like an apartment than an office. One that you enter naturally, not at a distance,” says Bartosz Świniarski, project director at BBGK, responsible for the concept of the new headquarters.

The interior was not kept in the black, white and gray colors typical of offices. Orange, salmon pink and olive green appear – colors also known from the studio’s works, including: Katyn Museum and Modern Mokotów. They are complemented by large plants, comfortable sofas and lighting designed by Spectra Lighting.

Instead of open space, there are smaller teams

Nearly 70 people work in the new headquarters. However, the architects gave up one large open space. The office is divided into semi-open zones that can be adapted to the nature of work.

The rooms accommodate a maximum of approximately 12 people. There are also smaller rooms and offices intended for work requiring concentration. At the same time, the space was not closed. Glass partitions and doors provided by Aluron and Saint-Gobain systems allow for visual contact between individual parts of the office.

The central corridor acts as the communication spine of the entire complex. Additionally, acoustic curtains allow you to temporarily separate more intimate places.

This is an important change compared to the previous headquarters. “In the previous headquarters, we were scattered on different floors, and there was no flexibility in work organization back then,” notes Bartosz Świniarski.

The new layout allows teams to connect and share depending on the stage of the project. There are also places for informal conversations between the work zones.

The canteen is supposed to be the heart of the office

A special role was planned for the common dining room. The canteen is not just a place where employees eat lunch. Thanks to its flexible arrangement, it can be transformed into a meeting room, lecture space, integration place or recording studio.

“It has been proven many times that the best ideas are born during such informal meetings, we have the opportunity to talk to each other, between different projects, and exchange experiences – in this respect, these common spaces are invaluable,” emphasizes Świniarski.

The canteen will also be open to people from outside the studio. BBGK wants to organize meetings, debates, presentations and lectures on architecture at Fredry Street. Those invited will include, among others: architects, researchers, cultural representatives, investors and technological partners and producers.

“We wanted the office to be a place where people are invited and where conversations about architecture take place. Ultimately, we assume that we will invite people from outside here, organize debates, discussions, project presentations, as well as our partners when it comes to product solutions, which is already happening. We hope that it will be a lively meeting space,” says Bartosz Świniarski.

The interior is also the studio’s showcase

The project used solutions from many companies cooperating with BBGK. The fittings in the kitchen and bathrooms were provided by Deante, the furniture was made by Kampwood according to the studio’s design, using mass-dyed Valchromat MDF supplied by Atpol.

The common areas were equipped with Dekton countertops provided by Bozza, electrical equipment by Hager, and carpeting by AxPro Concept. The lighting was provided by Spectra Lighting, while the glass partition and door systems were provided by Aluron and Saint-Gobain.

However, it is not only about presenting specific materials. The new headquarters is intended to show the studio’s way of thinking about space: the office should respond to the needs of users, but at the same time create conditions for the exchange of ideas and teamwork.

Architecture that influences architects

In the case of a studio that designs buildings and entire parts of cities, the choice of headquarters has another dimension. BBGK works in a place that is itself part of Warsaw’s history and at the same time is at the center of its contemporary transformations.

“I have always talked about how architecture affects people and their way of feeling space. Now that we have moved to the address of Fredry 6, to a former bank, where our office is in a large, luxurious pre-war apartment, I must say with surprise that this place and architecture have an incredible impact on me and our entire office. Now I am sure that in this new place the projects will be different, both masterplan and urban design as well as architectural designs,” summarizes Wojciech Kotecki, partner at BBGK Architekci.

The new headquarters is not just a change of address. The historic tenement house has become part of the environment in which subsequent projects of the studio are created. The old architecture of Warsaw and the modern way of organizing work meet here in one interior.