Xylopolis – location study

What influenced the decision that the Xylopolis Centre for Wood Art and Science would be built on the premises of the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture? What are the advantages of this location? These questions are answered by an in-depth location study carried out by experts.

The factual analysis was carried out by a team of experts led by architect Jan Kabac. A number of factors were taken into account, including:

• surface area requirements of the project site,
• connection with communication systems
• access to infrastructure,
• factors affecting the cost of investment,
• formal and legal spatial planning conditions,
• environmental considerations.

These criteria were key in selecting the location out of the three options considered. In addition to the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture, the campuses of the Białystok University of Technology and the University of Białystok were taken into consideration.

The performed analysis and the score given to each individual location clearly indicates that the best location for the Xylopolis Centre is the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture, which was approved by the Board of the Podlasie Voivodeship following the expert’s recommendations.

The most important advantages of the location

To choose the site of the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture, the team of experts pointed out the most important advantages of this location:

• Largest area available for the investment: 1.96 ha, land area available for development: 2.06ha.
• Good communication. To the west, the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture is adjacent to the national road No. 8, from the north it borders with a municipal two-way asphalt road (Nadawki), and from the east with the Białystok-Kuźnica Białostocka railway line,
• No previous development. The area is covered with wild grassland, with several clusters of trees.
• The proximity of a number of historic timber buildings in the Podlaskie Museum of Folk Culture, which could form an integral part of the Centre’s exhibition.

The Xylopolis Centre for Wood Art and Science is planned as an institution that will be visited by large numbers of tourists from Poland and Europe, and spatial conditions were one of the most important factors.

At the selected site, the building of the Polish pavilion from the World EXPO 2020 world exhibition will be recreated, designed by Polish architecture firm WXCA and Swiss firm Bellprat Partner.