Nastawnia PoC

Through the reconstruction of the railway signal box, the architects from Front Architects lost the opportunity to realize one of their dreams. They were very familiar with the Secessionist building of the signal box located near the main train station in Poznań due to its position, and they had considered adapting it for their studio multiple times. However, they never found enough energy and funds to fulfill this wish. By coincidence, an investor and new owner of the signal box approached the architectural studio Front Architects with the task of renovating the building, which had not been used for several years, into a café. In addition to the café with the necessary allocation, the renovated building was also to include a small museum of rail transport and a gallery of visual art with a railway theme.
Such a task could not be accommodated in a two-story building with a footprint of 50m2. The architects decided to minimize interventions in the original signal box and find the required space in its extension. On the side opposite to the railway tracks, they proposed adding a two-story pavilion of cubic volume to the building. The architects approached the reconstruction of the signal box very conservatively, in a good sense, and restored the original inscription on the façade facing the Poznań Gl railway tracks.
The new extension directly adjoins the municipal park, and through the glass façade, visitors to the café are offered a view of the well-maintained greenery. However, train enthusiasts will surely choose to sit on the opposite side of the café, where the view of the busy tracks corresponds to the significance of this line. An even more attractive view is offered by the café’s upper floor, which is entirely reserved for visitors' seating, and the spots at the tables in the signal box's bay allow for almost immediate contact with passing trains. Most of the “railway” artifacts used in the interior were provided by the investor herself, whose family has been connected with rail transport for several generations. The name of the café, Nastawnia PoC, comes from the original designation of the signal box (nastawnia) Poznań C.
The café offers a rich cultural program, including exhibitions, concerts, and film screenings under the open sky. Thus, a venue has emerged in close proximity to the city center that offers more than just the consumption of food and drink in an attractive railway-themed environment.