Nowa Huta's new place to play

Kraków's City Hall has just called for tenders to build a youth sports and education center on ul. Ptaszyckiego and ul. Klasztorna, close to the Hutnik stadium in Nowa Huta. The city plans to invest some zł.25 million in the new facility.

The complex will be divided into three parts. One section will host six halls and a body building gym. The next part will hold a 350-sqm swimming pool with five lanes. These will be linked by an atrium with greenery and fountains. The last part will be an open-air skate-park. In the eastern part of the center there will be a pond and in the southern part an amphitheater with seats for 210 people will be built. The center will also have some basketball courts, which can also be used for handball and volleyball. On the second floor the investor plans classrooms, workshops and other educational facilities. The building, with its observation tower, will be a landmark in the city.

Joanna Niedziałkowska from Kraków City Hall says the complex will provide a wide range of leisure activities for teenagers and children. "Its aim is also to promote the city among tourists," adds Niedziałkowska. According to city officials, the high windows and anti-graffiti coating on the walls will prevent vandalism.

Wojciech Obtułowicz from Studio Architektoniczne is the architect behind the design. The deadline for tenders is April 24 and the complex is scheduled to open in November 2007.