brutalist | Katowice the City

The story of cup-shaped pillars

April 19, 2012 Katowice the City 0

Neinver Polska, an investor of the mixed-use complex being built at Szewczyka Sq., prepared a three-minute video showing how was erected the first reconstructed cup-shaped pillar of the new Railway Station. Through the kind offices of Budus S.A., a building company which raised the original pillars last century, we also present photos of works on the former “umbrellas”.

The original pillars and the main Station’s hall were built by a so called “Katowicka Przemysłówka” …

Hand-made art at Szewczyka Square

March 22, 2012 Katowice the City 0

After long design works based on computer models, selection of a proper mix of concrete, tests on type of wood strips and preparation of a hand-made formwork, the first of sixteen cup-shaped pillars is almost done. The last step is to finish a reinforcement of the top coat of the pillar and to cover it by the concrete.

For the last several days, high-skilled carpenters were joining small pieces of the wood strips manually to get a perfect form of the “umbrella’s” top coat.

First pillars of Railway Station grow

January 11, 2012 Katowice the City 0

One month ago, Neinver showed us a prototype of pillars and underground interiors of Galeria Katowicka. Meantime, works have began on the new cap-shaped “umbrellas” of the Railway Station. Construction crews already prepared four bottom structures of the pillars.

The former original sixteen cup-shaped pillars of the main station’s hall were demolished due to works on the multifunctional center at Szewczyka Square.

Last cup-shaped pillar fell

January 11, 2011 Katowice the City 0

The Trans-Ziem company needed 21 days to demolish 16 cup-shaped pillars forming the building structure of the Railway Station’s main hall. The demolition works of the pillars had started on 22nd of December last year, and finished today, on 11th of January just in the early afternoon when the last pillar was knocked down.

Now, the building’s remains have to be taken to pieces and Trans-Ziem will be able to start a demolishment of hall’s foundations.

Tearing down Railway Station

December 23, 2010 Katowice the City 0

Yesterday, on 22nd of December, deconstruction works on the Railway Station’s main hall started. It will take several weeks to take the building to pieces. The demolition works are conducting by Trans-Ziem. Today, workers tore down a first pillar of the main hall. In February 2011, construction works of the transportation hub, the new Railway Station and Galeria Katowicka will be launched by Strabag, the prime contractor of the investment.