LIXA sculpture competition decided
The winner of the competition for a sculpture to be erected at the LIXA office complex is Maciej Rembieliński, designer of the piece Harmony of Contrasts. Maciej is a student at the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The winner has been offered the opportunity to execute his own sculpture at the LIXA site. The project as a whole is financed by Yareal Polska, developer of the LIXA complex on ul. Kasprzaka in Warsaw’s Wola district.
The competition, addressed to students of the Media Imaging Studio and graduates of the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, is aimed at creating a large-scale outdoor sculpture designed specifically for the architectural space of the LIXA office campus. The sculpture should blend in with the existing space and form an integral part of the landscape. At the same time, it will act as an identifying element for the site.
There were 23 entries in the competition meeting the eligibility requirements. The entries were evaluated by a jury chaired by Prof. Sławomir Ratajski, dean of the Faculty of Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The other members of the jury were Stanisław Rewski of the architectural studio HRA Architekci; Wojciech Wagner, deputy director of the Office of Architecture and Spatial Planning of the City of Warsaw; and, from Yareal Polska, CEO Jacek Zengteler and marketing director Olga Prokopiak. The vice-dean of the Faculty of Media Art, Prof. Katarzyna Stanny, was appointed secretary of the competition.
The jury awarded the grand prize to Maciej Rembieliński for his piece titled Harmony of Contrasts. The design of the winning sculpture depicts a balanced relationship between two opposing elements: the subtlety of light and the robustness of steel and concrete. It stands for the balance between the dynamics of the urban landscape and the human quest for harmony. The centrepiece of the sculpture is a chrome-plated steel pipe, representing modernity and technological advancement. Its glossy surface shows the reflections of its surroundings, merging with the space around it. On the pipe, there are three concrete blocks symbolizing the foundation of any great undertaking. The concept of the sculpture expresses not only the aesthetic value of art, but also a message of balance between tradition and modernity, strength and delicacy, stability and dynamism. Harmony of Contrasts encourages reflection on the relationship of humans with the environment and the significance of harmony in the context of today’s corporate life.
Prof. Katarzyna Stanny of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw said: “Collaborating on this sculpture competition was a big challenge for the students in the studio that I run. After a meeting with the representatives of Yareal Polska and receiving the necessary information and materials, we got down to work. During the classes, we talked about the function of urban sculpture and the Wola Biennale of Sculpture (1968), which inspired the competition participants. First they drew conceptual sketches, and later, depending on the designer, they created either a 3D model or a real model. The final stage of the work was to design a board with a presentation of the future sculpture, conceptual description and cost estimate. At every stage of the work, the students enjoyed the support of Yareal regarding information on the implementation possibilities, and had my assistance in the artistic field. There were 27 entries in the competition, 23 of which met the competition requirements. The array of completed mock-ups demonstrated the creativity and talent of the students at the Faculty of Media Art who were invited to take part in this fascinating project, giving young artists the opportunity to appear in public space with a sculpture in front of the LIXA building in Warsaw.”
In addition to selection of the winning sculpture, the jury named two runners-up, Zofia Jackowska, for the project Homo Viator (third year, first-cycle studies, part-time studies), and Jakub Augustyniak for Sunflowers in Wola (first year, first-cycle studies, part-time studies), students at the Faculty of Media Art, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The runners-up will receive cash prizes, and spatial models of their sculptures will become part of the interior design of the LIXA office complex.
Jacek Zengteler, President of Management Board, Yareal Polska, commented: “We are absolutely impressed by the level of the submitted works and the creativity of the designers. The works showed a diverse approach to the theme of the competition, resulting in designs that each of us can interpret in our own way. We are very pleased that by liaising with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, we have created conditions for the students to test themselves in a business environment, in which some of them will certainly operate after completing their education. As the developer of the LIXA office complex, we are delighted with the winning sculpture and are already looking forward to its unveiling this autumn.”
The LIXA campus is the largest office project in the history of Yareal Polska. The complex perfectly suits Yareal Polska’s ESG-compliant sustainable development strategy. One of the elements that make LIXA stand out is the LIXA City Gardens concept. It creates a new urban fabric and a unique public space, open for office employees, the local community, guests and clients looking for an interesting place to spend free time and unwind. The LIXA City Gardens concept features numerous retail and food and beverage outlets on the ground floors of the individual buildings (including along the 150-metre public walkway).
During the development of the LIXA complex, Yareal Polska also handled the renovation of the famous sculpture of Marcin Kasprzak, patron of the Radio Works which operated in Warsaw’s Wola district for many years. In consultation with the city authorities, the statue by Aleksander Pawlik was carefully restored and returned to its original location in January 2024.
The LIXA office campus has been developed in stages in the Warsaw business hub in the downtown Wola district, just a short walk from the Rondo Daszyńskiego metro station. The campus was designed by the renowned architectural studio HRA Architekci. LIXA comprises five buildings totalling 77,000 m2 of floor space.
