vistula university

In this proposal for the Vistula University building in Warsaw, the central public functions of the university have been reorganized in order to create a clear and functional public area. It was chosen not to use signage or colours as ways of orientation, which could only add to confusion, but to rely entirely on the clarity of the architectural solution.

This makes the three starting point for the proposal: a clear and obvious orientation and circulation scheme; a well defined central area that links all functions and allows for meeting, waiting and having a break and bringing a maximum of natural light into the central area, and use this as an extra source for orientation as well.

The Circle, the circular central area, is all open to allow for student circulation and becomes the central meeting space for the university. The circle is further clarified using a characteristic ceiling with small and large light circles. The circles of the floor, the ceiling and the metal panels can all be interpreted as circular references to the academic fields of highlights of Polish science, such as astronomy, physics, chemistry and computer science.