Warszauer Boutique Hotel, Crakow, Poland: Corian® Exteriors helps to combine history with contemporary architecture

July 2022 - The luxury Warszauer Boutique Hotel recently opened its doors in Kazimierz, the former Jewish district of the city and today one of Cracow's most attractive area. The narrow building, developed by the firm INDO Architekci, is located between an old 4-story tenement house and the 17th-century Kupa Synagogue. To fit harmoniously with such prestigious surroundings, the architects chose to imitate the divisions and rhythms of the historical buildings in a contemporary manner. The homogeneous, three-dimensional facade is made with Corian® Exteriors panels made with Corian® Solid Surface (Glacier White colour).

Warszauer Boutique Hotel (Crakow, Poland). Facade with Corian® Exteriors panels; architect INDO Architekci; photos Konrad Zaustowicz, ONI Studio, all rights reserved.

Medieval Kazimierz is today a trendy and creative neighbourhood hosting a number of independent galleries, vintage clothing stores and popular bars. Located in this attractive and lively area, the Warszauer Boutique Hotel is close to the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Old Synagogue, which is one of the most important monuments of Jewish religious architecture in Europe. The area is also a remaining witness of the intense and flourishing Jewish life that existed in Poland until World War II, before it was wiped out by the nazis.

The Warszauer Boutique Hotel was imagined by a group of dynamic and creative investors from Silesia, who approached the INDO office to design a luxury boutique hotel on an area of just 600 square meters, on a very narrow plot of land. It had to stand out from other facilities in the area through its remarkable architecture, functionality, and interior comfort to attract the most demanding customers.

The main façade and entrance of the building gently stands apart from the neighbouring tenement houses. The front elevation is covered with a homogeneous, three-dimensional structure made with 141 square meters of Corian® Exteriors panels, cut with large windows allowing natural light to the penetrate inside the building. The bright front elevation stands out clearly from the contrasting dark ground floor, where the hidden entrance door flows seamlessly into the corner of the high window panes.

Warszauer Boutique Hotel (Crakow, Poland). Facade with Corian® Exteriors panels, architect: INDO Architekci; photos: Konrad Zaustowicz, ONI Studio; all rights reserved.

Lead Architects Marcin Mikos explains: “We were looking for a solution that would allow the creation of a smooth and homogeneous facade, which had to be white with an irregular shape. We already knew Corian® Solid Surface as we’ve used it several times in interior design elements, but it was the first time we used it for external cladding. Corian® Exteriors gave us full creative freedom in shaping the front facade. Thanks to its unique structure, Corian® guarantees the preservation of the Glacier White color in any weather conditions, and is also UV-resistant. Resistance to air pollution was another important feature. We are extremely pleased with the result. Corian® Exteriors to shape the facade of the historical buildings in a contemporary way is an extremely interesting solution which might set new standards in the industry.”

The result is outstanding. Warszauer Boutique Hotel has a minimalist and pure form. The play of shadows on contemporary white glyphs combined with the reflections in large-format windows creates a constantly changing appearance of the hotel exterior throughout the days and seasons, while fitting perfectly with the historical character of the surrounding buildings.

About INDO Architekci (https://indo.pl/en) is a design firm formed by a team of highly skilled professionals in design and investment management and specialized in the implementation of projects of office buildings and hotels. Providing customers with the highest attention with professionalism and creativity, INDO Architekci brings an interdisciplinary approach to every project to offer the most suitable solutions to the customers needs.

Beauty Meets Versatility with Corian® Exteriors - Corian® Exteriors solutions based on Corian® Solid Surface brings personality to virtually any type of environment, enhancing and facilitating the lives of those who use and enjoy its unique potential. It can be crafted into almost any shape, for any place, for any purpose, and is available in a wide range of colors, offering you the freedom to design, explore, and create. Long-lasting, durable, and elegant, Corian® Exteriors solutions, such as cladding panels, have a three-dimensional formability that has been liberating inventive and artistic minds for over 40 years.
To know more about Corian® Exteriors: http:// www.exteriors.corian.com

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DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (DuPont) manufacturers and sells surfacing materials and products that inspires creative design. DuPont is not in the business of architecture, engineering, or performing installations. As such, we do not approve or disapprove any applications' final drawings or installation, nor assume any liability for such. Any and all liability for a final design rests solely with the architect, designer, and/or the building owner.

Media contact:

Claudio Greco, Corian® Design,Marketing Communication Manager (Europe, Middle East and Africa), claudio.greco@dupont.com