The State Archives in Bydgoszcz stores archival materials from Pomerania, Kuyavia, Greater Poland and Lower Silesia. The new archive building will provide these materials with even better storage conditions, as well as offering users convenient access to all documents.
The four-story, post-modern building with a neutral color palette will be located on Karłowicza Street. It will feature state-of-the-art architectural, technological and IT solutions.
The cuboid building will have a volume of 23,501.38 m3. The planned total built-up area is 2100.15 m2, the floor space is 7,525.19 m2, and the total area is 8,477.72 m2. The planned storage area is 3,854.48 m2.
The storage facilities will be able to house more than 30 kilometers of records. They will feature state-of-the-art storage racks, and will guarantee the conditions necessary for the long-term storage of documents (such as lower temperature and proper humidity).
The facade walls will be covered with ventilated concrete slabs. This technology refracts light in a way that prevents the interior from overheating.
The building will be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. The facade lighting system will be connected to solar panels for a renewable energy source. The building will also feature a reservoir for collecting rainwater.
Visitors will be able to enjoy convenient access to the archive’s holdings, including records, photographs, maps and technical documentation, in a traditional form as well as in the form of microfilms and scans. The conference room will seat as many as 50 visitors, making it perfect for research, education and popularization events. The remaining part of the plot will feature green areas, including an educational trail with exhibitions of archival materials. The display cases will be powered by solar energy.
The building will also be adapted to visitors with special needs. In addition to lifts, it will feature tactile paths and Braille signs for the visually impaired, as well as audio induction loops for the hard of hearing.
The planned cost of the entire project is approximately 80 million zlotys. The entirety of the project will be publicly funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The construction will be managed by SAFEGE S.A.A. Oddział w Polsce.
The new building of the States Archive in Bydgoszcz has been designed by a consortium consisting of Proj-Przem-Projekt Sp. z o.o., with its registered office in Bydgoszcz, and Skala Sp. z o.o., which is based in Poznań.
Budimex S.A. will be the general contractor on the project.