Adaptation of the church ruin in Steblewo for a relaxation and contemplative center

In Poland, there is a huge amount of historic buildings which remained without anyone’s care after losing its original function. One, and often the only way to prolong the life of the aging buildings – mostly with high cultural and architectural value - is their adaptation to new functions.

The aim of the project is to revive the aging substance of the church and ensure its further life. In the case of ruins in Steblewo, this is probably the only way to prevent them from falling completely. The way to a valuable adaptation of the object is to give it a spiritual function that will not disturb its reception by the local community, nor will it pose a threat to it from a conservation point of view. In the proposed concept of the Relaxation and Contemplation Center, the principle of invisible architecture was adopted, the motivation of which is to emphasize the historical and architectural value of the building from the early fourteenth century. The recipient will be able to notice his new tissue only after entering the ruins - he will see a new, transparent membrane roof and a platform for the practice of yoga. On the mezzanine in the first part of the space of the former church there will be a library. Through the stairs leading to the elevation for physical exercise and meditation, the user will be able to get out of the main body of the building, entering the footbridge leading to the roof of the restaurant - it is a surface for the practice of yoga outdoors. From here, stairs leading to simple houses have been designed. The entire facility is adapted for use by people with disabilities. An important and decisive point in the design process was the selection of the roof covering method - the cover was to be light and transparent, as well as easy to use in the Polish climate. All of these requirements are met by a product called ETFE - it is a polymer membrane, invented by DuPont over 40 years ago as a material for the space industry. Another important dilemma resulting from the subject of the adaptation of the ruins was the choice of the method of foundation of the tissue designed inside the facility. Due to the probable presence of underground burial crypts, the project envisages the use of pile foundations, which individual units would be placed in places precisely marked after archaeological excavations.