After eighteen months of construction works, The Baltic Gallery (Galeria Bałtycka) in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz, constructed by HOCHTIEF Polska Budokor Branch in cooperation with HOCHTIEF Construction Berlin–Brandenburg Branch, has been completed.
The commercial and entertainment center, the largest in the Tri-City area, has been commissioned by ECE Projektmanagement.
The five-storey Baltic Galleria is situated in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz, on a plot at the intersection of Grunwaldzka, Kościuszki and Dmowskiego streets.The three levels of the Galleria, comprising 103 172 m² of usable floor space, contain approximately 200 retail outlets, as well as cafés and restaurants with a wide variety of services and goods offered to the residents of the Tri-City and the neighbouring area. The floor space in The Baltic Galleria has been rented to representatives of the most renowned Polish and international brands, including 30 new ones which are entering the Tri-City market for the first time.
There is also a two-level car park with 1050 parking places, with special sectors designed for disabled persons.
Around the 5-storey structure of the Galleria, covering the collective gross area of 110 000 m2 and amounting to 518 465 m3 of cubature, there are pavements, bicycle routes and entertainment areas.
Construction Technologies
The Baltic Galleria, spreading over an area 234 m long and 169 m wide, standing 19 m high, ranks among the largest commercial and entertainment centres in Poland. It is the largest shopping mall in the Pomorze region.
The construction required special technologies and solutions to be applied:
The design of the Galleria made it necessary to move the Potok Strzyża riverbed. This required boring underneath one of the busiest streets in the Tri-City and setting parallel channels, measuring 1.5 m and 2 m in diameter, respectively;
During the construction works approximately 7 thousand tons of reinforced steel and 45 thousand m3 of concrete were used. Such an amount of material would be enough to build the Eiffel Tower and 10 km of highway;
105 000 m3 of soil were disposed of within the course of the construction; enough to fully load 10 000 trucks.
Nearly 2000 people were engaged in the finishing works.
Architecture
The reinforced concrete structure of the building is comprised of three main parts separated by expansion joints.The modern character of the architectural design of the building is achieved through its light and transparent structure, which can be attributed to the sandstone and profiled glass finish of the facade, interior design incorporating motives of sandy beaches over a sun-lit ocean, the light color scheme and a 56 metre long elliptical glass dome over the central passageway. Additionally, the marine-style of furnishing is a clear reference to the proximity of the Baltic Sea.
Passageways designed in the form of triangles provide an interesting architectural solution. Common spaces are lit with natural light through triangular shaped roof lanterns (reminiscent of the contour of a sail), two rotundas and an ellipse 56 m x 15 m in size.
The design of the Galleria is complemented with a clock tower at the Kościuszki and Grunwaldzka Street intersection.
Convenient location
The opportunity to fully enjoy the extensive choice offered by The Baltic Galleria is facilitated by the developed transport network, since the centre is situated near the main road connecting Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, with a railway station, a fast city train, a bus station and several tram stops in the immediate proximity. The main entrances of the Galleria face the Grunwaldzka and Kościuszki intersection as well as the train station.
Aside from its commercial purpose, The Baltic Galleria is an excellent place for cultural events. The cultural program planned for the whole year includes concerts, exhibitions and sporting events.