Kulinarna Kamienica / Biuro Kreacja + M19 Architekci

Architects: Biuro Kreacja, M19 Architekci
Area: 1,500 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Alka Murat
Lead Architects: Dorota Terlecka; Maja Skołysz
Architects Team: Karolina Polińska; Denis Durtsev; Ewa Michałowska
City: Podgórna, Poznań
Country: Poland

Kulinarna Kamienica is a contemporary food hall located within the restored Wiedeńska Town House in central Poznań. Designed by Biuro Kreacja and M19 Architekci, the 1,500-square-metre project spans two interconnected early 20th-century buildings and introduces ten culinary concepts alongside three bars. The interior narrative is structured as a metaphorical journey, guiding visitors through distinct spatial atmospheres that range from Art Nouveau references to industrial motifs, minimalist Asian-inspired settings, and richly coloured Eastern-influenced zones. A covered terrace, incorporated during the planning process, has become a focal gathering space. Distributed across three levels, the project integrates modern gastronomic infrastructure within a historically layered structure, restoring the building’s urban relevance while establishing a vibrant and accessible destination in the city centre.

I find a lot of satisfaction in working on details, because they are what ultimately define the quality of a space. Even very small elements can have a strong impact on how something is perceived.

Sometimes it’s about a subtle gesture-a slightly rounded edge that feels softer to the touch, or a polished surface that reflects light in a particular way. These details might not be immediately noticeable, but they contribute to the overall atmosphere.
Interview with Dorota Terlecka of Biuro Kreacja

Kulinarna kamienica / biuro kreacja+m19 architekci

The revitalisation of the Wiedeńska Town House at Podgórna Street in Poznań represents a deliberate effort to reinterpret heritage through contemporary public life rather than nostalgic reconstruction. Faced with a building that had lost much of its original fabric due to decades of neglect and postwar alterations, Biuro Kreacja and M19 Architekci approached the project as a spatial narrative rather than a stylistic restoration. The result is Kulinarna Kamienica, a large-scale hospitality environment that treats history as a conceptual framework, using gastronomy as a catalyst for reactivating a dormant urban address.

At the entrance, the design reestablishes dialogue with the tenement’s early 20th-century Art Nouveau origins. Vaulted ceilings, ornamental detailing, and carefully composed finishes evoke the character of historic commercial galleries and railway halls, subtly referencing the culture of travel. A centrally positioned, curved bar clad in walnut veneer anchors the space and provides formal clarity, while upholstered seating and layered lighting introduce a sense of ceremony and welcome. Rather than replicating lost interiors, the architects distilled key motifs into a contemporary language that acknowledges the building’s former elegance.

As visitors move toward the courtyard, the atmosphere shifts to an industrial register that reflects Poznań’s manufacturing legacy, particularly its history of steam locomotive production. Steel fixtures, robust lighting elements, and murals referencing mechanical heritage establish a more technical rhythm. The covered terrace, made possible by a change in the local development plan, occupies a pivotal role within this zone. Initially peripheral in the spatial hierarchy, it has emerged as the social core of the complex, mediating between interior and exterior while accommodating the dynamic needs of a food hall environment.

Further inside, the narrative transitions into calmer and more restrained territories. An area inspired by Asian design principles adopts a Japandi sensibility, characterized by light wood, simplified geometries, and textile wall treatments that soften the acoustics and visual field. Paper lanterns provide diffused illumination, creating a contemplative counterpoint to the livelier zones below. This subdued atmosphere gradually gives way to a richly colored Eastern-influenced section, where burgundy and orange tones, darker timbers, and patterned lighting elements intensify the sensory experience and align spatial character with culinary diversity.

The journey concludes on the upper level, conceived as a more intimate lounge open to the city through historic shopfront windows. Here, soft seating, textured plasters executed with a wabi-sabi sensibility, and a sculptural bar finished in burgundy-toned steel establish a quieter rhythm suited to both daytime and evening use. Coordinating ten gastronomic operators and three bars across three levels within a structurally complex historic envelope required rigorous technical integration and sustained oversight. Kulinarna Kamienica ultimately restores not only architectural dignity but also civic vitality, positioning the tenement once again as an active participant in the social fabric of central Poznań.