The submarine plant resurfaces

The structure of Montownia, which has just opened in Gdańsk’s former shipyard area after the extensive refurbishment of the historic building, is made of solid concrete. The interiors are huge, surrounded by three levels of galleries. The outside of the building features three avant-corps containing stairwells and lifts. “Anti-aircraft batteries were installed on the top of the avant-corps during the war, since the shipyards were a strategic industry at the time. The large windows were designed to protect the building in the event of an explosion – the force of the impact would have blown out the windows without damaging the structure,” explains Tomasz Albrycht, the serviced apartment director of Euro Styl. This is certainly a building with some history behind it.

The basement was once an engine assembly plant and a fuel storage depot. When the new ventilation systems were being installed, plates were uncovered with German submarine markings. The history of Montownia is very much being conserved. “On the top floor in a glass display case there is a two-metre model of a U-boat, which was created by a studio in Wrocław,” reveals Tomasz Albrycht.

From factory to lofts

After the war, the building was used by the Gdańsk Shipyard all the way up until the 90s. A concrete ceiling was added between the ground floor and the other storeys. At the bottom, discos, concerts, exhibitions and banquets were held, but the upper floors were abandoned and only used by pigeons and paintballers. In 2019, the site now occupied by Montownia became the property of Euro Styl. “We tried to buy the site several times, as we really wanted it. But we kept on running into problems and it was only at the third attempt that we were successful,” recalls Magdalena Reńska, the managing director and a board member of Euro Styl. Now you can rent a loft in Montownia or spend free time there and eat in the 2,500 sqm food hall, which features 23 food concepts. “We didn’t have a single plan for how we were going to use Montownia and considered many different directions and ideas. We knew that it should include suites, but we were worried about short-term leasing, which is why we came up with the idea for an operating company that would be responsible for all the usages of the entire dock area,” explains Magdalena Reńska.

Opposite Montownia, Euro Styl is also developing its Doki Living residential project with almost 1,100 apartments and service outlets. The developer intends to ensure that the residents of the dock area have as much peace and privacy as possible through its urban planning and by thinking through all the required services. “We came to the conclusion that if there was going to be a food hall and hotel suites in Montownia, this would be where most tourists would come, so we located the recreational amenities outside the estate,” explains Magdalena Reńska.

Unlike with a condo hotel, you can’t buy shares in Montownia, but the complex does have separate buildings that contain serviced apartments. This will form the basis of a residential community overseen by an operator under a ten-year operator contract. “We’ve tried to make our business model as simple as possible to make it attractive to loft buyers,” adds the managing director of Euro Styl.

Many functions under one roof

Alongside the internal galleries there are three floors of apartments. On the ground floor, as well as the food hall, there is also a conference area and offices with their own entrance. This has already been sold and is where a shipyard company involved in ship design is to operate over an area of 400 sqm. “Along the way we were hit by Covid and the war in Ukraine, so this was a difficult period for the development of the project. The Euro Styl board decided that we had to carry on regardless of the conditions, because eventually the situation would return to normal. This has turned out to be a competitive advantage for us, as now we are that one step ahead,” points out Magdalena Reńska.

The developer has leased out the food section to Food Hall Poland, which has already developed and operated this kind of concept for Hala Koszyki in Warsaw. “Euro Styl is experienced in residential development, but catering establishments follow completely different rules. We also hired Tomasz Albrycht as an experienced hotelier at the beginning of the project. If we are not good at something we defer to the experts. Making things up as we go along is not our style, because the wrong solutions can be very costly,” adds Magdalena Reńska.

A shoal of art

The design for the reconstruction of the building was drawn up by Rayss Group. This involved opening up the interior of Montownia once more to its full height, while the concrete ceiling has been replaced with glass. “The structure of the building was in an excellent state, so all we had to do was to reinforce some of the structural elements where we had made alterations,” explains Łukasz Rayss, the CEO of Rayss Group. “However, this was done in a way that an outside observer wouldn’t be able to notice. This is due to our choice of concrete and boarding, which gives the modern elements a historic look,” he explains. “Of course, all the work was done under the supervision of the historic monument conservation authorities, so the shape of the building was largely retained as well as the historic elements, such as the entrance to the apartments and the gantries, which were simply restored. The building is insulated internally and the façade has been renovated without damaging the original glazing on the brickwork. Elements that have been removed, such as the shuttered windows, have been reused for the interiors,” says Łukasz Rayss. An orangery has been built out of all the glazing removed in the common area, while in the stairwells the original banisters and windows have been retained. “We also kept a few of the broken windows as well as the original elevator in the new lift shaft,” adds Tomasz Albrycht.

Artworks and greenery have also been added to the industrial interiors. A 62 sqm green wall now stretches out almost up the entire height of Montownia. And a giant installation hangs overhead entitled ‘A Shoal of Creatures’, which was designed by Tomasz Krupiński. The artist used 1.5 tonnes of shells to create huge light fittings weighing between 40 kg and 300 kg. “Putting things to new uses was the key to the design as well as the attempt to maintain a balance between a cosy hotel interior and the industrial character of the military building. Our motto was ‘a new life for the hall’, which was where the inspiration for the green wall and shoal of creatures swimming towards it comes from. I couldn’t imagine Montownia now without these features,” insists Łukasz Rayss. Within the open area, sitting areas have been created with glass booths and places to work.

Concrete and springs

Montownia comprises 114 fully furnished hotel suites, each with a mezzanine. “The lofts are of the highest quality and have an impressive height of 5m, while the other rooms have heights of around 4.5m,” reveals Tomasz Albrycht. The interior design of the rooms is the work of Marzena Degutis, while the walls are decorated with graphics by Michał Szlaga that document what has happened to the Gdańsk shipyard over the last twenty years. “The ceilings of these apartments are over 80 years old, but all they required was to be cleaned. The bathrooms have been laid with little square white tiles, which we found on one of the floors while taking an inventory,” says Tomasz Albrycht.

The industrial elements add to the atmosphere of the luxury hotel. Its exposed concrete surfaces, with visible wiring and tall windows with multiple sections, have been combined with large curtains, upholstered furniture and natural wood. “The rooms can be opened with your phone. An energy management system linked to an occupancy sensor has also been installed. And each room has ultra-comfy mattresses with 248 springs per sqm, seven hardness zones and a thickness of 24 cm,” enthuses Tomasz Albrycht.

After dark

Montownia Lofts & Experience has a total area of around 11,000 sqm, of which the lofts themselves make up more than 5,000 sqm. The space between the floors is flooded with light that comes in through the windows in the highest section of the building. After dark, the large light fittings in ‘A Shoal of Creatures’ are illuminated, displaying the artistic installations and neon signs against their concrete background, which can be admired by guests relaxing on the comfortable furniture in the common area. Despite the size of the hall, it is echo-free due to the acoustic design. Montownia’s industrial past has thus been woven seamlessly into its new life as a holiday and leisure destination.