1999-2000
An eight-story Class A office building designed for the demanding location of the Old Town under conservation protection. Its characteristic a rebours façade won the approval of the Heritage Conservator. In 2025, a project was launched to modernize the building and convert it for residential use.
Site area
0,08 ha
gross floor area
5 422 m2
area per floor
550 m2
office GLA
4 387 m2
number of storeys above ground
VIII
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À rebours facade RBC
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
When it was built at the turn of the twentieth and twenty first centuries, the Renaissance Business Centre stirred controversy. Locating an eight-story building in the very heart of Wroclaw’s Old Town, opposite the Gothic Basilica of Saint Elizabeth, was a significant responsibility. a distinctive structure emerged on a plot left undeveloped for fifty years, visible from a two-hundred-meter perspective from two of the most representative Old Town squares, the Market Square and Solny Square. The design challenges included:
working within a historic urban fabric under strict conservation supervision
adapting the space to high office standards
ensuring flexibility in interior layouts to meet the evolving rental market
designing a two-level underground car park on a relatively small plot within historic development.
PROJECT FEATURES
The SRDK STUDIO architects referred to the proportions of pre-war architecture, yet the building’s glass façade was then a technological novelty. Time has shown that the bold design stands strong to this day, and the building has remained continuously leased for two decades. Real change came only with the pandemic and the ESG revolution.
Façade a rebours
Referencing historic architectural proportions, the building features sandstone window surrounds in place of traditional windows, while its walls consist of dark blue glazing that reflects the Gothic Saint Elizabeth’s Church. This design created a historic façade rhythm and allowed for additional interior floors for tenants.
Flexible
The frame structure of the building enables flexible interior configurations, from open plan layouts to individual office systems. The ability to transform and adjust spaces to evolving needs is a key attribute of office environments. The final highlight is a rooftop terrace offering an impressive view of the Wroclaw skyline.
Adaptation
SRDK STUDIO designers modernized one of the RBC floors in 2022, commissioned by Hexe Capital. The entire volume of the space was used by minimizing suspended ceilings and installation casings. The acoustic parameters arising from this decision were also taken into account.
Acoustics
During the modernization, the remaining zones were opened up to the reinforced concrete slab, with ventilation and electrical systems routed in the open space. To ensure favorable acoustic conditions, the architects designed suspended acoustic islands above individual workstations, allowing the use of modular ceilings to be avoided.
Less waste
Exposing the ceiling slab was the most significant intervention on the floor. The functional layout met the tenant’s expectations. A beneficial environmental outcome was the reduction of construction waste and the minimization of new materials. Further environmental benefits included replacing windows with high performance insulating ones, installing blackout blinds and external window awnings, and upgrading lighting to energy efficient LED fixtures.
Change of function
In 2024 the owner of RBC decided on a major redevelopment of the building, including converting it into a residential property. The design work was entrusted to SRDK STUDIO that is currently modernizing and optimizing the building in accordance with an ESG audit.
Gallery
RBC is a Class A office building
The plot on which the RBC office building was developed
RBC viewed from St. Elizabeth's Garrison Church, Wrocław
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Site area
0,89 ha
total floor area
21 740 m2
floor area per level
2 490 m2
office space for rent GLA
17 100 m2
number of above-ground floors VII
VII
What others say
Articles
Inwestor
Mikołaja 7
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Investor
Archicom is a Wrocław-based developer with extensive real estate experience, specializing in residential, office, and commercial projects. The company combines modern technology with high-quality execution, prioritizing sustainable development and user-focused design.
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