The Puppet Theater Banialuka and the Municipal Library are key cultural landmarks in Bielsko-Biała, with rich histories now poised to enter a new chapter at their future location on Broniewskiego Street. This unique facility, designed to serve as a flagship for the city and tailored to a special audience—children—must be modern, welcoming, accessible, and sustainable.

Creating a dual complex for two cultural institutions presents a particular challenge due to the wide array of functions that must be accommodated within the buildings and their surroundings. To ensure clarity, maintain a modest scale for the structures, and create various spaces with different purposes and atmospheres, the decision was made to design two separate buildings. However, these buildings form a cohesive whole thanks to a unifying principle—a regular structure of glued laminated timber. Based on a 6×6 meter module, this modular grid dictates the rhythm and organization of the volumes, façades, and even the site layout.

Façade Composition. The façade design begins with the rhythm of the wooden structural grid, enriched with diverse infills. Sometimes it features the void of loggias, glazed foyers, solid wooden-clad walls, or sliding shutters. Together, these elements create a dynamic yet harmonious mosaic, embedded within the grid of columns and beams.

Location and Urban Context. The project’s specific location presents both challenges and opportunities. Its proximity to the Lipnik railway station is both a potential nuisance and a chance to promote access to the Theater and Library via public transport, reducing reliance on cars. Consequently, the urban design prioritizes a pathway aligned with the existing underground passage beneath the station. This also strengthens the pedestrian connection between two residential neighborhoods separated by the railway tracks.

The main entrance plaza has been deliberately set deeper within the site, away from the nearby viaduct and roundabout. Framed by the façades of the Library and Theater, the plaza is separated from the railway tracks by an extension of the wooden structure, which houses a covered outdoor summer stage. This creates an intimate courtyard space, filled with rich greenery—trees, shrubs, and ground cover—and features water elements. Two primary axes structure the plaza: a wide path connecting the main entrances of the buildings and an axis extending from the summer stage into the adjacent street. The audience area for the summer stage is flexible, with a grass surface instead of hard paving, allowing for the addition of benches, deck chairs, or even blankets during the summer months.

Functional Zoning. The northern section of the site is dedicated to theater operations, including delivery areas, staff parking, an administrative entrance, and access to the restricted underground parking. Larger groups of visitors arriving by coach can use a designated bay with a canopy leading to the theater’s main entrance. Nearby, accessible parking spaces are also provided.

The southern section of the site includes an open parking area and space for a weekly market. It also features an entrance to the underground parking garage and open or covered bicycle parking facilities.

The landscaping integrates a recreation and play zone, designed within the timber modules, which can accommodate hammocks, movable play equipment, or pergolas.

### Structural and Environmental Considerations
One of the key programming decisions was to use structural timber as the primary building material. Two aspects are particularly significant here: first, reducing the building’s carbon footprint. Given the accelerating climate crisis, energy efficiency and passive design are no longer sufficient; the environmental impact of construction itself (over 80% of CO2 emissions occur during this phase) must also be addressed. Additionally, future scenarios for the reuse of materials during potential renovations or demolition are integral to the project.

The above-ground wooden structure, built on a reinforced concrete underground level, is punctuated by spaces for the main theater hall block, stair cores, and elevator shafts. This design aligns with principles of rational and ecological architecture, while also defining the character of the façades and interiors. The 6×6 meter modular grid governs the plan while allowing flexibility in the height of the levels, which varies between the two buildings based on their functions. This approach ensures economic efficiency and keeps both buildings below 12 meters in height, excluding the stage tower located in a designated fire zone. The grid organizes the space while accommodating exceptions that humanize the interiors. Exposed timber structures, particularly in the multi-story foyers and library halls, lend a distinctive character—impressive in scale yet warm and inviting due to the natural material.

The modular structural layout, consistent with the principles of rational architecture, allows for extensive prefabrication. This shortens construction time, optimizes costs, and achieves higher standards for elements that often serve as final architectural details.

Sustainable Solutions. The wooden structures of the Theater and Library serve as frameworks for various sustainable solutions. The project incorporates external sunshades, critical for protecting the Library’s collections and preventing interior overheating. Green walls with a delicate steel cable substructure are designed to support controlled vine growth, providing shade and improving air quality. Both buildings feature green roofs—accessible gardens for the Library and photovoltaic panels for the Theater. Bees will also benefit from this greenery, with rooftop beekeeping facilities planned for the Theater.

Natural and durable materials will be used in the interiors, such as wood wool ceiling panels, wood-based acoustic panels, wooden furnishings, and non-toxic plasters and paints. These elements will enhance indoor air quality, provide optimal conditions for young visitors, and contribute to a simple, friendly aesthetic.

Landscaping. Hardened surfaces in the landscaping are minimized. The underground parking garage is largely confined to the building footprint, allowing for expansive greenery, including tall trees, and improved water retention. The plaza with the summer stage is designed to provide optimal shading, planted with trees to avoid the “heat island” effect.

This thoughtful integration of design and environmental responsibility ensures that the new Banialuka Puppet Theater and Municipal Library will not only enhance the cultural landscape of Bielsko-Biała but also set an example of sustainable architecture.