Poland made an important step towards becoming one of Europe’s leading conference destinations when, on September 14, 2010, a brand new major meetings facility – the Regional Center for Business Tourism (RCTB) – opened at one of that country’s premiere venues, the Centennial Hall, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Wroclaw, Poland’s 4th largest city.
Following an inaugural conference on the theme of Current Trends in Business Tourism, with Rob Davidson of Westminster University as keynote speaker, 800 guests gathered for the official evening opening ceremony, presided over by Dr. Hana Cervinkova, CEO of the management company of Centennial Hall, Hala Ludowa Sp. z o.o. Dr. Cervinkova explained to the audience that, with a total capacity of 3,000, the RCTB is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility that offers flexible meeting spaces of the highest quality for all sizes of exhibitions, conferences, training sessions, and a wide variety of other business, cultural and social events.
For the last one hundred years, Centennial Hall and the surrounding exhibition grounds have served as a venue of choice for high-profile events of international import. At the time of its erection in 1913, Centennial Hall required superlatives to describe. Not only was it the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world, it also featured the biggest dome to have been constructed since the Pantheon in Rome 18 centuries earlier. In 2006 the Hall was added to UNESCO’s prestigious list of World Heritage Sites as one of the most important achievements in 20th Century architecture.
Constructed on the site of the Centennial Hall’s historic Terrace Restaurant Pavilion, the RCTB has been harmoniously integrated into the existing complex with deep respect for the site’s unique heritage and setting. The large windows and glass façade offer inspiring views of the lush grounds of one of the oldest municipal parks in Europe and of the historic Pergola, a 640-meter walkway made up of 750 columns. Event organizers at the RCTB can also benefit from the use of one of the largest multimedia fountains in Europe. Opened on June 4, 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first free elections in post-war Poland, since then, the fountain performances have attracted more than one million visitors. Planners can order
custom-designed water, light and sound shows with private viewings for up to 370 people from the RCTB’s exclusive rooftop.
The RCTB features a fully equipped auditorium and a multi-functional hall, both of which will accommodate up to 1,000 people each.
Other features of the RCTB include:
-Four conference rooms for 180 – 200 people each or two combined conference rooms for 380 each
-Four meeting rooms for 10 people each or two expanded meeting rooms for 20 each
-One VIP room, accommodating 10 people, with a private entrance and separate catering area
-One full-service restaurant for 180
-One bistro for 180
-Kitchen facilities for outside caterers
-One 86-meter long covered terrace that can accommodate 224 seated or 370 standing
-Two airy foyers on the ground level of the RCTB offering excellent spaces for exhibits, poster sessions, trade fair stands and coffee breaks.
The inspired design for the RCTB was the outcome of an international competition organized in 2007. Jury members included Prague architect Prof. Vladimir Slapeta, Prof. Jorg Haspel, the head of the State Office for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Berlin and Dr. Jerzy Ilkosz, the recognized international authority on Centennial Hall and the Modern Movement.
The total budget for the RCTB was just under PLN 80 million (€20 million). A total of PLN 23.5 million (€5.93 million) came from co-financing from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund within the Regional Operational Programme of the Lower Silesian Voivodship for the years 2007-2013. The majority of the remaining funding came from the Municipality of Wroclaw.
The RCTB complements the extraordinary meeting spaces offered under the historic dome of Centennial Hall. In 2010, the arduous renovation of Centennial Hall’s façade and windows was completed. The project entailed the cleaning and repair of more than 10,000 square meters of reinforced concrete, and the restoration of a total of 800 windows covering 2,500 square meters, including the replacement of clear glass with ochre-colored panes. Centennial Hall’s current golden hue is the manifestation of the original architect’s long-postponed vision for the monumental structure – thoroughly documented in Polish and international archives – that was never realized at its inception in 1913.
The interior of Centennial Hall will be completely renovated in the first half of 2011, after which date the venue will offer permanent seating for 8,500, with the potential of adding temporary telescopic grandstands that will increase capacity to 10,000. The hall will be equipped with new technical infrastructure and state-of-the-art multimedia installations.
The RCTB and other investments are being overseen by Dr. Hana Cervinkova, CEO of the management company of Centennial Hall, Hala Ludowa Sp. z o.o. in Wroclaw.
