Luxury yachts at the Gdynia Marina

The Gdynia Marina Yacht Park hosted a show of the most beautiful motor and sailing yachts, manufactured in shipyards both in Poland and abroad. The Polish Chamber of Marine Industry and Water Sports [Polska Izba Przemysłu Jachtowego i Sportów Wodnych] – Polskie Jachty has chosen precisely the Gdynia marina to organize its Polboat Yachting Festival, a trade event showcasing luxury sailing vessels.

The event, organized on a grand scale that is unparalleled in Poland, was held at Gdynia’s Śródmieście Morskie [Sea City]. It was there that more than 20 exhibitors presented their most beautiful and most luxurious sailing vessels. These stately yachts looked very impressive in the company of the new residential development Yacht Park and the very distinct Sea Towers building. The President of the Polish Chamber of Marine Industry and Water Sports Polskie Jachty said that great care was taken while selecting the venue for organizing this event.

– We really wished to do something new, and the Marina Yacht Park in Gdynia takes quality to a whole new level. We have tried very hard to ensure that our boat show was a high prestige, lifestyle event with a format similar to the Cannes Yachting Festival. Yachts in themselves require a certain type of backdrop and show-casing space. Many of them are very expensive, therefore the manner in which they are presented should reach an excellent standard. And it is precisely the natural surroundings, offered by Gdynia and this marina, that provided a perfect match for our idea – said Sebastian Nietupski, President of the Polish Chamber of Marine Industry and Water Sports Polskie Jachty.

The Polish yacht industry is appreciated worldwide. Polish manufacturers particularly specialize in power boats up to 11m with an outboard motor. But they are also known for luxury sailing vessels, that win multiple awards at the world’s most prestigious competitions.
During the three-day event, which took place on 20-22 August of this year, 20 exhibitors showcased their yachts. The event was also attended by our export manufacturers – Sunreef and Galeon. The first of them showcased the 80-feet sailing vessel Sunreef 80 Double Happiness. The second of the Tricity companies, Galeon, has made two vessels available at the show – the 680 FLY (which claimed the Best Exterior Design Trophy at the last edition of the Cannes Yachting Festival) and the 335 HTS (this year’s winner of the Motor Boats Awards in the Sportcruiser category).

The event was open and free of charge, but for visitors’ safety the organizers have introduced registration for meetings with the exhibitors.
The honorary patronage over the event was held by the City of Gdynia.

photo: Magdalena Czernek, UM Gdynia

Gdynia Modernism through the Lens

If you enjoy taking photographs of architecture, come to Gdynia and immortalize the modernist architecture of the city in pictures. The 10th anniversary photography competition Gdynia Modernism through the Lens has just been launched.

The contest has already become a permanent fixture in Gdynia’s cultural calendar. Every year amateur and professional photographers roam the city in search of best shots of modernist buildings and architectural detail. The city looks after its cultural heritage and proudly takes care of its modernist architecture, the elements of which are also reflected in contemporary projects under construction. Gdynia, which was established as a ‘Polish dream’ and a maritime window to the world, attractedyoung Polish architects, city planners, interior decorators and designers. Gdynia modernist City Centre acquired its specific shape within a very short period of time in the 1930’s, which further consolidated the symbolic message of “white architecture” – a fashionable trend that also became established in other parts of Europe. Every year the city carries out renovations on another group of modernist buildings. This year the city allocatedPLN 1,600,000 for this purpose, that is twice as much as the year before.

The competition participants may submit a maximum of five photographs in each of the following categories until 17 August this year:

• FŚ – “Forma i Światło” [Form and Light]
• DM – “Detal Modernizmu” [Modernist Detail]
• MAL – “Modernistyczna Abrahama i Lipowa” [Modernist Abrahama and Lipowa Streets]
• MWP – “Modernizm w podróży” [Modernism On the Go] –
• “Portret kamienicy modernistycznej”[Portait of a modernist apartment building
• ŻM – “Życie Miasta”[City Life].

Winner of the first prize will be awarded PLN 1,500 and a Gdynia Modernism Route souvenir set. The Runner-up will be awarded PLN 750, and the contestant coming in 3rd place will receive a voucher to the value of PLN 300 to arestaurant on the Gdynia Culinary Route.
The competition participants may traverse the city independently, as well as take part in themed walks, which specifically focus on modernist architecture. The walks calendar with routes description can be found on the website of the Gdynia Modernism Route.
All the prize-winning and runners-up entries will be published online on the organizers’ website and will be included in the post-competition exhibition held during the Architecture Weekend running from 27-30 August 2020, as well as in a series of at least three collective exhibitions of the Gdynia Modernism Route. The winners will be announced during the official opening of the exibition on 27 August 2020.

Competition rules are available HERE.

Five options for sightseeing in Gdynia

Are you a visitor to Gdynia and would like to get to know your way around the city as quickly as possible? Or perhaps you are a Gdynia resident who is looking for some new ideas for a fun-filled weekend? The municipal self-government has released five promotional publications for tourists and local residents, in other words those who would like to discover the city and its most interesting attractions.

Sightseeing in the city has never been more simple. All you need to do is to upload the information leaflet to your smartphone or print it and take it along with you. The publications are also available in the “desktop” format. Clicking on any of the addresses included in the publication will re-direct the user to Google Maps, or to the appropriate website.
“Gdynia weekend” is an option for those with limited time on their hands and who thus have to focus on the twelve most popular tourist attractions in the city. “Gdynia beaches” describe the four main Gdynia beaches, so you can select your favourite one and enjoy its beauty. “The Sea Legend” is an option for old seadogs. This information leaflet will take you on a trail of famous ship captains from the past, transatlantic ocean liners and sites with links to Poland’s maritime history. “Practical information: map-guided tour” is an option for those who intend to spend more time in Gdynia and who would like to get to know the city. Here they will find many useful information about the city and finding their way around it. The largest publication in terms of volume is the 24-page guide to Gdynia modernism, called “Modernism 2×6”. The publication offers two routes taking the visitor on a tour of six selected buildings and modernist sites. Each route will take approximately 90 minutes and leave plenty of lasting impressions on the visitors. It is an excellent compilation of information about modernism for those who have never encountered this style in architecture before. The first route is a tour of the public buildings, and the second showcases the modernist tenement houses of the wealthy Gdynia bourgeoisie.

– All the leaflets form a full set, that will ensure that the visitor will not get lost in the city, and at the same time inspire to come up with the most interesting sightseeing options. What is undeniably a great positive aspect of the publications is their accompanying graphic design, which helps to communicate the conveyed message. I hope that our visitors will make use of these resources, especially since they are interactive – says Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, the Deputy Mayor of Gdynia.

Relaxation zone on the South Pier

The South Pier has been decorated with ornamental plants. Thanks to the new arrangement, this space has become even more friendly for residents and tourists who seek contact with nature.

The local government of Gdynia attaches great importance to the organization of greenery in the city, which offers respite to rushed philistines. Rainy gardens, pocket parks, as well as flower pots with decorative plants are created in the city. The Central Park is being expanded. Publicly available green areas are integrated into new investments emerging in the city, so as to balance the architectural development. Thanks to the project implemented as part of the Climatic Center, greenery also flourished on the South Pier. The existing, very minimalist land development has been enriched with greenery, benches and seats. Over 500 sq m of lawn, 39 birches, 117 mountain pines and over 50 ornamental grasses and perennials were planted.

The place of the existing car park situated opposite the Gdynia Aquarium was taken up by the space very artfully arranged and filled with decorative seats between plant pots. Now this area is conductive to rest and deliberate admiration of sailing ships mooring at the quay. In July, a modern solar bench will appear in the recreation area, where you will be able to recharge the phone while resting.

-The last element of the pier metamorphosis will be an 8-meter spatial inscription “GDYNIA”. Its letters, made in white, semi-matt color, will refer to modernism in Gdynia. The height of each letter is over 1.5 meters. They will have modular LED backlighting, so that the inscription can be an attraction also after dusk – says Marek Lucyk, Vice President of Gdynia Development.

Smart Gdynia

Along with Gdańsk and Sopot, Gdynia have received the Human Smart City awards. The jury of the award have appreciated the cooperation of local governments in creating a modern metropolis and taking advantage of the potential of each of the cities at the same time.

Gdynia has been carrying out activities aimed at improving the quality of living in the city for a long time. Gdynia is also familiar with the idea of “smart city”, that is a city that applies state-of-the-art technologies making its inhabitants’ lives easier. The Smart City award proves that the activities taken are accurate and in line with the current development trends of modern agglomerations. The award was presented during this year’s Smart City Forum Congress (June 15-16, 2020). Due to the pandemic, two-day discussions were held online. During the Congress, Gdynia was represented by Bartosz Bartoszewicz, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia responsible for life quality. Giving the award to the local governments of Gdynia, Gdańsk and Sopot, the jury appreciated “exemplary cooperation and harmonious development of the entire metropolitan area by taking advantage of the potential of both cities and member communes in the best possible manner and respecting their individuality and specificity at the same time”.

During the two-day congress, experts and specialists in the area of smart city discussed examples of practical solutions applied in Poland and around the world, with a particular emphasis laid on solutions in the times of crisis. Participants elaborated on i.a. challenges related to the European vision of the cities of the future, civic education, economic competitiveness and sustainable development.
Deputy Mayor Bartosz Bartoszewicz participated in the discussion related to the development of a city that is safe for its inhabitants entitled “Direction – city safe and friendly to its inhabitants”. Deputy Mayor Bartosz Bartoszewicz said that during the epidemic “these were the cities that have shown how quickly they can react to the changing reality, whereas their “intelligence” has been reflected in both reacting and adapting to new challenges”. According to the Deputy Mayor, the local government, thanks to the measures taken beforehand, was able to continue to carry out its tasks in a new form.

– We have switched to online services in next to no time. This is the future. These are technical solutions that allow us to deal with our matters online, without having to go to an office. It is a matter of a mobile application, a matter of monitoring which provides us with information. We had to have a great number of solutions dedicated to inhabitants, however, we could not address such solutions to specific people without very thorough analytics – said Deputy Mayor of Gdynia, Bartosz Bartoszewicz, during the debate.

Gdynia has been implementing the idea of Smart City for many years. Educational institutions in Gdynia use an e-grade book and the e-GIO portal giving access to figures of schools in Gdynia. Road traffic is easier thanks to the TRISTAR Integrated Traffic Management System. On-board computers installed in buses and trolleybuses provide information of the location of a given vehicle by means of the GPS system as well as information on velocity and delay against the timetable on an ongoing basis. Solutions aiming at developing the city and improving the quality of inhabitants’ life are developed as part of the UrbanLab Gdynia city program. Inhabitants of Gdynia may use car-sharing services. The city is also developing electromobility and eco-friendly solutions in the public transportation area. Zero-emission electric buses operate in Gdynia. Street lighting is also being replaced in the city. As many as 5,658 sodium-vapor street lamps will be replaced by LEDs. Thanks to this, the consumption of electricity will be reduced and CO2 emissions will be reduced by 8,000 tons annually. The new KLIMATyczne Centrum (CLIMATic Center) project is to reduce CO2 emissions gradually by i.a. increasing the surface of green areas in the City Center.

Gdynia helps entrepreneurs

The City of Gdynia has recently seen the establishment of the Economic and Social Council of the UrbanLab Gdynia Thematic Team for adapting to life after the pandemic. Members of the business and scientific communities as well as of non-government organizations will collaborate on developing solutions that are going to help to minimize the negative consequences of the economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus.

The Council has been appointed by the Mayor of the City of Gdynia, Wojciech Szczurek. From the very beginning, the self-government was involved in assisting the local business and in providing support to the residents. It developed the Breakwater aid and relief programme designed for entrepreneurs, non-government organizations, as well as cultural, sports and educational entities. The City offered its assistance to the local entrepreneurs which included among others rent holidays in lease agreements involving municipal premises, consulting services, and renegotiation of contracts for public works. These initiatives are being implemented with the participation of the Economic and Social Council of the UrbanLab Gdynia Thematic Team for adapting to life after the pandemic.

– The economic impact of the pandemic will stay with us for a long time and will affect us on many different levels. It is worth a try to predict various scenarios and based on them to construct efficient support and development programmes. This is a multidisciplinary task that requires a great deal of experience. I am grateful that prominent members of the scientific and business communities as well as of non-government organizations agreed to accept our invitation. I believe that while working together with such a team of people, we will be able to arrive at tailor-made and adequate solutions – explains Wojciech Szczurek, the Mayor of the City of Gdynia.

The Council is faced with the tasks of minimizing the impact of the pandemic, consolidating the business and the scientific community as well as the Gdynia self-government, and also of preparing a diagnosis of the current state of the Gdynia business and naming those sectors that require most assistance. The Council will also monitor the effects of initiatives introduced by the Gdynia Breakwater. This will be the foundation for further proposals of relief initiatives aimed at the local entrepreneurs.

The first meeting of the Council took place in the form of a video conference. The Council consists of the following members: Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała (Deputy Mayor of Gdynia for Economy), dr hab. Marcin Wołek (economist, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the City of Gdynia), Agata Witczak (Director at Refinitiv), dr hab. Dariusz Filar (economist, University of Gdańsk), dr hab. n. pr. Anna Jurkowska-Zeidler (Law Faculty, University of Gdańsk), Marcin Sikorski (Director at Bolloré Logistics Poland), Dariusz Bazeli (Director at Geoban Poland, member at ABSL), Leszek Kopeć (Director at Gdynia Film Centre), Bartłomiej Pawlak (Deputy President at the Polish Development Fund), Krzysztof Borusowski (President at Best SA), Magdalena Reńska (Director at Euro Styl SA), Maciej Dobrzyniecki (Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Spain, Chancellor of the Gdańsk Branch of Business Centre Club and member of the Supervisory Board of the Pomeranian Development Fund), dr n. pr. Marek Głuchowski (President at the Gdańsk Business Club) and Katarzyna Wierzbowska (President at Women’s Entrepreneurship Foundation).

– The new developments have taken us by surprise and we require extraordinary measures to cope with the situation. I am sure that while working as part of this excellent team, we will be more efficient at providing solutions than if we worked alone. I would like to thank the very busy directors, presidents and professors that they decided to sacrifice their very valuable time for Gdynia and that they are prepared to work for the city – said Katarzyna Gruszecka-Spychała, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia for Economy.

fot. UM Gdynia

InfoBox has a new neighbour

A seven storey office and commercial building with a rooftop viewing deck accessible to the public will be constructed at the intersection of 10 Lutego and Świętojańska Streets in Gdynia. The ground and the top floors will be occupied by a restaurant, with an added advantage of a magnificent view over the city.

Investor AB, who wishes to undertake the project, organized a competition for the architectural design of the building. Four offices participated in the competition. A seven-judge panel composed of architects from the Gdańsk University of Technology, self-government representatives, the CEO of Investor AB as well as two representatives of the organizer, selected the concept created by the 3MA studio.
It was the judges opinion that the winning design was the one that drew best upon the local architectural scale and characteristics. The building is defined by its streamlined design, featuring finishing details that utilize panels of architectural concrete with a marble texture and colour scheme, drawing on Art Deco style.

The building will comprise 7 overground storeys and 1 underground level with parking for cars and bicycles. The ground floor will house commercial premises and a wide pedestrian walkway, leading directly from the 10 Lutego Street onto the green Żeromski Square. The top floor will house a restaurant featuring a viewing deck located on two levels. The viewing tower will be re-located to face out onto Świętojańska Street. This change in its location will afford a better view of the Świętojańska Street block built in the modernist style, as well as of the South Pier. The viewing tower, as before, will be available free of charge to residents, tourists and visitors.

The total usable floor area of office and commercial premises in the new building will amount to more than 2.8 thousand square metres.
The implementation of this project in the form proposed by the developer, requires a switch over of the real estate lots belonging to the developer with the city. The consent for this has to be obtained from the members of the City Council.

design 3MA

Former shipyard grounds for sale

The Polish Naval Shipyard put up for sale nearlyseven hectares of the eastern portion of its grounds with access to the basin. The asking price for the land with the buildings and infrastructure is PLN 85 million. Investors may submit their bids until May 11 of this year.

The grounds, which have been put up for sale by the Shipyard Management Board are located in the vicinity of 48 Śmidowicza Street adjacent to basin No. 9 within the Gdynia seaport. The direct access to the basin, could be a competitive advantage in operating a business from this site. The Shipyard Management Board is looking for entrepreneurs who would be interested in operating a business from these premises. In the opinion of the current owners, a variety of business operations can be run from the site, for instance manufacturing, port-related business, or rental of office space.

The asking price of the real estate with the direct access to the sea is PLN 85 million net. Interested parties tendering bids need to supply a guarantee equivalent to 10% of the offered price. The price offered is the sole criterion for selection.
The buyer will take over the right of perpetual usufruct to the land together with the right to ownership of the buildings and the infrastructure located on the property. The property includes office buildings, warehouses as well as energy supply and road infrastructure.
The Naval Shipyard plans to invest the revenue from the sale of the grounds in a construction of a new manufacturing facility and to relocate those of the manufacturing stages that are currently being carried out at the most remote sites, which will result in the shortening of the manufacturing process.

A new intersection

A redevelopment is underway of a layout of intersecting roads, found to be confusing for drivers:Tadeusza Wendy Street, Węglowa Street, Portowa and Św. Piotra Street in Gdynia. A four-way intersection controlled by traffic signals will be constructed at this site.

The redevelopment of the road layout is linked to the investments which are being conducted in the neighbourhood – Portova and a building in Św. Piotra Street implemented by Invest Komfort and PB Górski developers. The existing road layout has been causing many problems for drivers. The new road layout aims to simplify movement of vehicles in that area. The existing road layout along with technical infrastructure will undergo an overhaul. A new four-way intersection controlled by traffic signals will be constructed at this site. The road layout will also be redesigned. Węglowa Street (on the section from the intersection with Portowa Street up to Bernarda Chrzanowskiego Street) will be closed to motor vehicle traffic and will become a car-free area to be used exclusively by pedestrians and cyclists.

The work is conducted as part of a road contract with the city of Gdynia, where the investors have committed themselves to redevelop the infrastructure. The contractor for this project is MTM, a company dealing with building and road construction. The construction work will take 16 months. The costs of the redevelopment amount to a total of nearly PLN 10.5 million.

photo UM Gdynia

Atmospheric City Centre

The South Pier, the favourite strolling destination for Gdynia residents, will become green in springtime. Adjoining the Gdynia Aquarium, a zone promoting social interaction of residents will be created, and opulent vegetation will be planted on the pier.

The South Pier has magnetic powers of attraction. Crowds of visitors of all ages gather there on the weekends. Families with children, young people, and the senior citizen enjoy spending their time here. The pier’s existing character has an impact on the visitors’ choices of activities, with the main focus being walking and strolling. Now this area is going to change, and the new arrangement will foster rest and relaxation directly by the seaside.
In its most glamorous section situated next door to the Gdynia Aquarium opulent vegetation will be planted. The concrete paving slabs will be replaced by a lawn and trees. Comfortable benches will be placed amongst the greenery. Finishing touches will be added in the form of decorative planters, also filled with vegetation.

The existing car park nearthe Gdynia Aquarium will be replaced by a zone promoting social interaction of residents. It will be a place where residents and visitors can gather around a huge, illuminated sign which spells GDYNIA. The visitors will be able to enjoy a rest on 26 minimalist, rounded concrete seats, the so-called drops [drop candy]. The relaxation zone will be complemented by adding the vegetation – trees and decorative plants in white planters.

The work on the new look for the South Pier will be completed by the end of May. The development of this area is being carried out under the auspices of a city project under the name ATMOSPHERIC Centre [KLIMAtyczne Centrum]. Within its framework there are several investments which are going to transform urban space into a more resident-friendly area, i.e. safe pedestrian crossings, bicycle lanes, places for rest and relaxation amongst greenery.

photo: UM Gdynia