Monk's Place

A Centuries-Old Granary in Toruń, Poland, is Transformed into Modern Dwellings

Located in the historic heart of Toruń, Poland — a beautifully preserved medieval town centre which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – “Apartamenty Monka” is a new residential development of nine rental apartments that unfold across three floors of a picturesque gothic building.

Designed by Polish architect Paweł Tatara and architectural practice Znamy Się, the project addresses an architectural conundrum facing historic European cities such as Toruń: how do you reconcile the need for contemporary dwellings with the imperative to preserve the city’s building heritage? The issue was especially pronounced in this case as the architects had to work with a centuries-old building that was initially built not for housing purposes but as a granary.