New in the Port: how to reclaim the Maritime Cultural Centre

The project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, primarily SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, through the protection of cultural heritage and improvement of urban space quality. The adaptation of the existing building supports SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production by promoting resource efficiency. Improved accessibility contributes to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, while the MCC supports SDG 4: Quality Education as a space for informal learning and social integration.

The design process was informed by urban analyses and a survey conducted among local residents. The survey revealed a strong sense of identity with Nowy Port and highlighted the perceived potential of the MCC. Nowy Port is well connected and characterized by a rich cultural heritage. At the same time, the district lacks public green spaces and attractive places for social interaction. A key challenge is the underdeveloped area at the main gateway to the district.

The urban concept reinterprets Danuta Weirowska’s unbuilt 1953 vision for this part of Nowy Port, adapting it to contemporary planning frameworks and community needs. The proposal leverages the future Zielona Wyzwolenia Boulevard as a key pedestrian and cycling corridor. New residential, commercial, and hotel developments, together with a park linked to local recreational areas, reinforce the existing urban structure. The intervention establishes a clear and representative gateway to Nowy Port.

Conceived in 1949, the Maritime Cultural Centre was originally designed in a modernist style by Adam Kühnl before being redesigned by Witold Rakowski in accordance with Socialist Realist principles. Opened in 1954, it became a vibrant community hub, hosting cultural, educational, and recreational activities, with its peak between the 1960s and 1980s. Despite being listed as a historic monument in 2012, the building has continued to deteriorate and was fully closed in 2023.

The project aims to restore the building’s social functions while adapting it to contemporary standards of use. Particular attention was given to preserving valuable historic elements, including maritime details. The design introduces partial spatial reorganization and new functions, alongside a glazed ground floor that opens the building to the public realm. Accessibility is enhanced through new glazed elevators improving universal access. The program is complemented by a new sports facility.

A new sports facility was designed, comprising two above-ground and two underground levels. On the south-west side, the building functions as an external grandstand oriented towards the Maritime Cultural Centre. In front of it, a skylight illuminating the underground sports hall doubles as an outdoor stage. The central spatial element provides natural light to the underground sports hall while activating the public realm as an event space and open-air cinema.

The MCC ground floor retains the cinema complex with lobby, ticket hall, cinema hall, projection room and offices, complemented by a flexible exhibition space. New public functions including a café, sandwich bar and tourist information activate the south-west façade. Glazed elevator cores improve accessibility. The sports building includes an entrance hall with lifts and a public lobby. Underground levels host fitness and dance studios and a sports hall, naturally lit by a central skylight.

The MCC Level +1 is dedicated to educational functions, including a library with reading room, coworking space, café and language laboratory. The sports building Level +1 contains two gym zones located on opposite sides of the building with central changing facilities. The MCC Level +2 forms the main cultural level with the auditorium, foyer and artistic program, including rehearsal rooms, recording studio and workshop spaces supporting performance and creative activities.

The urban design concept transforms the entrance to Nowy Port into a coherent public space, referencing Danuta Weirowska’s historic vision. The proposal strengthens the MCC as the main cultural anchor and complements it with new sports functions. Opposite the MCC, a hotel with a restaurant and an office building create a new urban frontage. Part of the allotment gardens is replaced with flood-resilient residential development. A new park introduces a flexible space for events and recreation.

The sports building functions as background architecture, complementing the existing MCC without competing with it. It completes the street frontage and creates a coherent urban composition. Due to spatial constraints, the main sports program is located underground. The building supports the MCC and strengthens the continuity of the urban structure.

A key aspect is the protection of Socialist Realist heritage, as the MCC represents a unique example in Gdańsk and has been subject to long-term neglect and degradation. As part of broader regeneration efforts in Nowy Port, the cultural centre could become an important component of the ongoing revitalisation process through its reuse and reactivation.