Before revitalisation
The International Congress Centre in Katowice was built on the site of the former „Katowice” coal mine. The mine, which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, was located close to the city centre, in one of the oldest districts – Bogucice. The plant was also one of Katowice’s important architectural landmarks, as Piotr Rygus writes: „the image of the Ferdinand Mine towering over downtown Katowice often adorned postcards from Bogucice and Katowice”. The operation of the coal mine contributed significantly to the development of the city of Katowice and the surrounding area. The influx of new residents from other parts of the country, who found employment at the plant, resulted in the dynamic economic and demographic development of the region. The definitive end of coal mining was reached in 1999, and over the 176 years of the mine’s operation more than 120 million tonnes of coal were extracted.
After revitalisation
The International Congress Centre in Katowice is a modern facility, completed in 2015, combining congress, conference, exhibition, trade fair and performance functions. The ICC, with its distinctive grass-covered roof creating a green valley, a popular meeting place for the region’s residents, is designed for 15,000 users. The general aim of the project was to create a facility whose value is built not only by providing programmatic and functional utilitarian solutions, but also by creating the conditions for its interaction in the social space of the city. The edifice, with a simple, clear and unambiguous form, is integrated into the public space of the city by providing a link along the axis important for the functioning of the city, connecting the square of honour in front of the Spodek hall and the oldest, historical part of the city called Bogucice.
This link is realised in two ways: in the form of a public walkway through the main hall and the centre’s foyer, and in the form of an external walkway running along the roof of the building, which can be used year-round for open-air exhibitions, happenings, etc. Such an assumption led to the formation of the edifice, whose main compositional elements are the roof (green valley), integrated into the system of terrain escarpments and the natural diversity of the terrain, and the space of the hall and foyer, located below, using the deformation of the ceiling for its uniqueness, the negative form of the 'green valley’. Formed in this way, the building meets both the expectations arising from its importance and prestige and the need to integrate it into the landscape of the Spodek’s surroundings, which will remain a significant and dominant element in the space of this part of the city. With its modern design and high-quality equipment, it is one of the most modern congress facilities in Poland.
