Hold Onto Your Sense of Reality: Gehry and Lynch Team Up in Poland

[Gehry and Lynch via NaszeMiasto; rendering via Polish Architecture]

?ód?, Poland's City Council approved a Frank Gehry-designed cultural center today, pending funding help from the European Union. At least we think they did, our Polish is a little rusty (and by "Polish," we mean "Google Translate"). So Gehry and bad translations into English make this story pretty surreal, but David Lynch and a creepy setting would really untether us. Oh, we've got that? The cultural center is part of a larger, 90 acre project at the city's center that includes transportation improvements, a museum, and Lynch's plans to build a studio at EC1, a former power plant (some of his 2006 film Inland Empire was shot in the city).

According to the blog Polish Architecture, which is in English, the interior of Gehry's design for the Camerimage Center is "made up of a large projected screen and it’s roof will complement the gothic cathedral in Lodz.There will be 4 movie theaters, 1 large concert auditorium, 1 small auditorium and a large courtyard." Lynch wrote to the city's councilors begging them to approve the building (translated back from the Polish):

Dear Councilors, please do not miss the chance to develop their own city. Please, do everything in your power to your children and grandchildren are proud of, being able to live in one of the most interesting cities in Europe. Do not neglect the enormous potential that lies dormant in these projects. There is no doubt that these projects will attract crowds of visitors - both artists, entrepreneurs and tourists from Europe and around the world. I am convinced that the rejection of this project is the first step today to ensure that [?ód?] has become a cultural and commercial backwater in the future. The hold up is, of course, funding. The Council says the project can only go ahead if ?ód? receives 250 million z? (about $87 million) from the EU. Construction is budgeted at 500 million z? (about $174 million) and design at 45 million z? (about $16 million). And money aside, legally the city has to hold a contest for project architects before it can buy Gehry's design. By the way, "?ód?" is pronounced "Wootch" according to Lynch, and it translates literally to "boat." [via Archinect]
· Lodz. Takes the fight to build a boat Camerimage Center [wnp.pl]
· Frank Gehry and Lodz, Poland [Polish Architecture]
· Camerimage Center in Lodz City Council Session [NaszeMiasto]