Vaillo + Irigaray, in collaboration with interplay, has won the first prize in the competition to build the Health Tech Synergy Hub (HTSH) for the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, with a scheme that stands out for how it blends into the urban fabric, completing and crowning a city-block, especially at the convergence of two streets, where a folding facade provides an accent.

The building is thought out as a bold geometry addressing both functional logic and the surroundings, maintaining a scale in coherence with the neighboring constructions. The heart of the building is a central atrium, with its color palette echoing Wroclaw’s characteristic brick landscape.

The design addresses the complex program by means of a flexible and hierarchized layout that stimulates interaction among users and allows constant readaptation to new uses, a versatility achieved through a perimeter structure and a loadbearing lattice facade, which make it possible to do without indoor supports and accommodate free compartmentalization.

The construction system uses solid, 40-centimeter-thick slabs of concrete that can span large spaces without intermediate pillars, and also allows perforations for services. The facade complies with bioclimatic criteria: structural screens with depths varying according to solar orientation create deep porticoes that provide protection against the sun while giving a strong and coherent image both outside and inside.