Redevelopment of the Academy's sailing facilities in Gdańsk into the National Sailing Centre
Gdańsk gained the National Sailing Centre (Narodowe Centrum Żeglarstwa). Run by the city’s Academy of Physical Education and Sports, the centre lies at the mouth of the Wisła Śmiała, less than a hundred metres from the Gulf of Gdańsk. It is both a training complex for future Olympic athletes and an academic sailing centre. It also offers a variety of services such as organizing regattas, cruises, trainings and sailing education for children, teenagers and adults. This ambitious project has been subsidised with PLN13.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund.
The man behind the project, who conceived it and has been its manager, is Krzysztof Zawalski, PhD, Polish sailing champion (Cadet, 420 and Catamaran Class) and then a teacher at the Academy of Physical Education and Sports. When still a student, he landed in the Ecole Nationale de Voile in Quiberon, France, which is a recognized model of a training centre for sailors. ‘I thought a similar school should be also opened in Poland,’ says Krzysztof Zawalski.
First attempts were made in the late 1970s, but work was started only when EU financial support became available. Architect Grzegorz Rzepecki was invited to design the striking three-storey building of the centre. Construction work was commenced in November 2004 and in June 2006 the opening of the National Sailing Centre was celebrated.
The building has three main sections. The ground floor contains the main hall (boathouse) where the equipment is stored and boats can be repaired at school’s own boat-building, mechanical and sailmaking workshop; a battery room; laundry and drying room for clothing; locker room and showers. The first floor is occupied by offices, physiotherapy room, hydro massage room, sauna, gym, locker room and showers. The second floor is taken by classrooms and lecture rooms, hotel (offering 13 rooms with 45 beds) and a sailing tavern (for about 100 people).
Outside is an 83-metre floating pier with mooring space for 36 sailing or motor boats plus a modernized wharf for 15 boats. The grounds around the building have also been developed.
The National Sailing Centre has become a model school combining education with sports and recreation. It is a public institution serving not only its parental academy but the local community as well. It has also triggered the construction of new marinas around the Gulf of Gdańsk which will ultimately be able to accommodate more than a thousand sailing and motor boats.
.
Your project description
To add a photo, description, specify a location or attach other materials about the project, you should fill out the form below. After clicking the “send” button, a message will be sent to you e-mail asking for confirmation. You must accept to submit the form. The EU Dot Map Guidelines and consent to the processing of personal data. materials will be sent to the editor of the site, who will publish it on the website after verification test.