Sopot is known all over the world as a city where music festivals of socialist countries were held, participation in which was considered very prestigious. But the seaport and the resort town are not only famous for this: it houses a one-of-a-kind structure among 50 other unusual brothers in the world, which can be called a creation of surrealism from architecture - a crooked house that amazes the imagination of everyone who sees it for the first time.
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History of the creation of the house
In 2001, young Polish architects Zalewski and Shotinski decided to build an original house in Sopot, they asked the Swedish photographer Dachlberg, a famous author of avant-garde works, to draw a sketch. The sketch is based on the motives of fairy-tale illustrations by the Polish artist Szanzer, who is very popular in publishing circles.
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Thus, a sketch was drawn up, combining modernist deconstructivism and fabulous archaism. The architects decided to bring this fantastic project to life and were extremely successful in its implementation: in 2004, an amazing building arose on the Heroes of Monte Cassino Street, which was dubbed the "Crooked House" immediately after the grand opening.
House construction
This name is quite fair, because from the outside all the details of the house are curves: walls, windows, cornices, roof, doors are curved so that it resembles an object of an animated or fairytale film. When you look at it, you also have an association with a drawing of a talented child who cannot yet draw straight lines, but is already striving to draw something large and grandiose. Or it seems that the house has squatted and grimaced from the weight, or is simply reflected in a huge curved mirror in a distorted form.
Whatever the individual presentation of everyone who sees this kind of masterpiece of housing construction, in any case, the latter is the fruit of the bold artistic imagination of innovative architects and the virtuoso skill of builders who brought the original idea of the designers to life.
Where is
The unique building is located in the city center, occupies 4000 sq.m., which houses shops, offices of companies, radio stations, a slot machine room and a restaurant. In fact, this is the business and entertainment center "Resident", where many tourists aspire to get after hearing about the famous landmark of the resort.
The pedestrian street Montyak (as the street of Heroes is commonly called) during the tourist season is packed with people who want to feel the real Polish flavor and admire not only the exclusive house, but also the surrounding landscapes. Probably, each of those who have been here left a photo against the background of an architectural miracle as a souvenir and bought a souvenir with its image.
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The architecture of the Crooked House
The house has 2 floors and a mansard roof, two front walls and a glass portal of the entrance just make up the picture of curvature; the other two rear walls are in the standard straight form. At first glance, it seems that the house is built from some super new materials. It is hard to believe that such a fantastic building can be created from ordinary sandstone, metal and glass, although, in fact, this is the case: no special, previously unknown building materials were used.
With the outward apparent instability of the curve, the house is firmly held "on its feet" and is not going to fall, because the walls are made of durable material and rest on a strong foundation. External bends do not in any way affect the stability, and this also adds mystery and paradox to the unusual facade.
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External interiors of the building
The display windows on the 1st floor are huge and are made of colored glass, enhancing the effect of fabulousness. Looking at them, one involuntarily thinks how difficult it was to create window openings of such forms and involuntarily admire the skill and skill of those who worked to bring this fantastic idea to life. The windows of the second floor are smaller, but no less pretentious, also made of colored glass, sparkling with rainbow shades in the light of street lamps at night and playing with multi-colored sparks in the glare of the sun during the day.
The main entrance of the building deserves special attention: wide glass doors are located under a glass stained-glass span, the edges of which connect the walls of the house, and the bottom is crowned with a wide strip of stainless steel with the inscription "Crooked House" in Polish. At the top, the span passes into the broken asymmetry of the roof, wedging with a glass patch into the "scales" of enameled metal tiles that cover the house.
Such a scaly shiny coating was not chosen by chance: it is intended to enhance the fabulous motives of the construction by analogy with the skin of a crocodile or fish. A bronze statue of a fisherman with a seine in one hand and a fish in the other serves as a thematic addition. His athletic, muscular figure, mounted on the side of a glass bay, is a symbol of Sopot's being a seaside town, whose daily life is closely linked to the sea. At night, the curved, illuminated walls are a truly fabulous sight.
Interior interiors
Despite the fact that there is not a single right angle outside, nothing inside reminds of curvature: everywhere there are even smooth walls painted with light shades. Attention is drawn to the original design of the hall, sustained in warm sand tones: an unusual configuration of ceilings, a massive staircase with a handrail in a modernist-space style and an elegant fence made of metal rods.
Modernism and conservatism perfectly coexist in the design: next to the stairs on the walls there are old-style lamps a la 18th century. The suite of office premises located here is separated from the general corridor by modern arched vaults and light glass partitions. Thanks to the presence of panoramic windows, an abundance of ceiling and side lamps, the inside of the house is full of light both day and night.
There is a Wall of Fame in it, where famous visitors and mere mortals leave their wishes and share their impressions.
