CityBank Bydgoszcz

The CityBank Bydgoszcz concept is a multi-scenario commercial repurposing study for a 3,132 square metre building across two floors, commissioned by Hunger Development — the largest confirmed single-project area in Rise.Design’s 2018 portfolio and the commission that initiated a client relationship extending to 2021. Five programmatic layout variants were developed for the same space, each exploring different corporate and commercial configurations, with 15 rendered visualisations and a set of detail drawings documenting the material specification.

The design intent was shaped by three principles: clarity, warmth, and longevity. The brief called for a hybrid workspace that could support daily corporate operations and creative collaboration within the same envelope, while accommodating the range of programmatic interpretations — co-working, dining, restaurant, retail — that different investors or tenants might require. Acoustics, lighting, and wayfinding were tuned for occupant productivity, and materials were selected for durability and low maintenance in a high-traffic commercial context. The result is a design concept that remains architecturally consistent across all five programmatic variants, with the shared lobby and circulation zones functioning as the stable identity layer regardless of which programmatic scenario is ultimately activated.

The material language developed for the shared lobby and circulation zones is consistent across all five programmatic variants: Bolon hexagonal woven vinyl floor tiles in grey and petroleum teal form a gradient wayfinding pattern that shifts in colour density to indicate zones and routes. Muratto 3D Peak cork wall panels in natural and charcoal pyramidal texture provide tactile acoustic relief on the primary feature walls, their dimensional shadow pattern catching light to produce a constantly changing surface character. Mid-century-inspired lounge chairs in timber frames with dark upholstery create waiting zones at lobby nodes.

The elevator hall is the primary architectural intervention within the lobby sequence. In one variant, a corten-effect rusty tile surround frames the lift doors, providing a material focal point that contrasts with the cool Bolon hexagonal flooring. In the alternate configuration, natural cork surrounds the elevator doors, extending the Muratto wall panel material to the threshold and producing a warmer, more unified character. The spatial strategy in both cases uses material differentiation at the lift surround to orient visitors and create a clear arrival moment within the otherwise open floor plate.

The Bolon hexagonal floor composition, documented in a top-down view, reveals the spatial logic embedded in the material specification: the gradient from grey through charcoal to teal petroleum creates directional movement across the lobby surface, drawing occupants toward the lifts and circulation cores without any additional wayfinding signage. This is Rise.Design’s fourth documented Bolon project, following the Cetor Poland logo floor, and the first application of the hexagonal format.