This is how WXCA wants to open Hajnówka to the Forest. The jury was delighted with the wooden Xylopolis

Xylopolis, i.e. the Wood Art and Science Center in Hajnówka, is to be architecture immersed in the landscape of the Białowieża Forest. The WXCA studio’s design won the competition thanks to its combination of wooden structure, pavilion-like form and landscaping open to the forest.

The architecture of Xylopolis is not intended to compete with the surrounding nature. On the contrary, it is intended to allow it to become part of the visitors’ experience. The WXCA team designed the building as a lightweight, modular structure that gradually flows into the landscape. Education and contact with nature will not be limited to the interior. The program is intended to extend to terraces, squares, paths and green spaces.

– The starting point for our concept, and at the same time for the development of the area and shaping the form of the building itself, was nature – the landscape and nature of the Białowieża Forest. We wanted to create a shape that would organically fit into the surroundings. This tectonic, pavilion-like form opens onto a forest that is a living exhibit – says Michał Czerwiński, associate partner of WXCA and co-author of the project.

Wood as a material and topic

In Xylopolis, wood is not only a construction material, but also the main character of the project. The regular, modular structure is intended to show the possibilities of modern wooden construction. Extensive glazing and green roofs strengthen the visual relationship between the interior and the forest.

The land development project assumes the preservation of the most valuable fragments of the existing ecosystem, as well as solutions related to water retention and biodiversity protection.

– The forest will not only be a background for architecture, but also its most important context and co-creator. That is why we decided to create a place that will allow you to gradually move from architecture to landscape – from learning about wood as a material and technology, through culture and science, to direct experience of the forest – notes Marta Sękulska-Wrońska, architect and partner of WXCA.

An interactive story about a tree

The heart of Xylopolis will be a multifunctional, interactive exhibition based on the metaphor of the life of a tree. Temporary exhibitions, workshops, a conference and performance hall, a media library, a café and meeting and event spaces are planned around it.

Individual functions will be able to work together or independently. The ability to go directly into the landscape will remain an important element. Terraces, squares and paths are to lead visitors towards the forest, thanks to which learning and education will be able to take place both indoors and in direct contact with nature.

The form of the building was designed as semi-open and modular. According to the competition jury, the appropriate scale and the ability to freely shape the program are one of the strengths of the project. The modular design also allows for future expansion without losing the clarity of the entire layout.

WXCA has experience in projects in which the relationship between architecture and landscape is one of the main assumptions. The studio used a similar approach, among others: in concepts regarding Chęciny, Pole Mokotowskie or Ulrich’s Gardens. In the case of Xylopolis, the unique landscape of the Białowieża Forest became the reference point.

WXCA Design Team: Michał Czerwiński, Małgorzata Bonowicz, Andrzej Bulanda, Tomasz Czuban, Anna Dobek-Lenczewska, Gabriela Siljanoska, Mateusz Sokołowski, Michał Sokolowsk and Szczepan Wroński. TopoScape is responsible for the landscape architecture, and WSP Polska is responsible for the construction consultations. The visualizations were prepared by Mukko Studio and Michał Sokołowski.