He called it Bikers’ Harbour because, according to his design, the hostel could be situated at the cape at the mouth of the Oława to the Oder, where a river harbour once existed.
‘It is a slightly forgotten and seriously degraded place. It would be worth restoring for the city,’ says Łukasz Modrzejewski. ‘In Wroclaw, the cycling infrastructure dynamically develops, with new bike paths and other road elements being added. However, bikers travelling around Poland or Europe need also places where they could take a bath, sleep and park their vehicle safely. Such places function successfully in such countries as Denmark or Netherlands. These are also elements of the bicycle culture that flourishes in Poland.
The author of the project notes that a few important cycle routes, including the international EloVelo, intersect in Wroclaw.
Bikers’ Harbour on the Oława
The Wroclaw architect designed a small hostel for bikers as a place of rest during their ride through Wroclaw. The Harbour, as he called the building, would contain modest rooms, a workshop and a café. The Harbour would generally be available not only to bikers, but also to walkers. The whole complex is also designed as a place of rest and integration.
In Modrzejewski's vision, the building in hidden in greenery and partly covered by an earth embankment. The architect assumed that the form of the Harbour would contrast with the Plac Społeczny square, where high-rise buildings are being planned.
‘I wanted to design the hostel with moderation,’ says Łukasz Modrzejewski.
For his diploma work, the Wroclaw architect received the top award in the first edition of the Green Roofs competition, which promotes pro-ecological architectural designs. He had also been distinguished by the French branch of the Association of Polish Architects.
