A cinema, restaurant, café, and a venue for hosting concerts. All across 5 levels and within atmospheric interiors. KOT is opening in the former Rudy Kot building. It welcomes its first guests on Saturday, 29 June.
During the briefing on the new opening of this venue, representatives of the regional and city authorities spoke.
– I would like to thank Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie very much for this initiative, because for many years this building had fallen into disrepair. As a region, we decided to support this project with a so-called revitalisation loan worth 8 million zloty. The total cost of the adaptation reached 13 million zloty, but it was certainly worth investing these funds – said Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomorskie Region. – I am delighted that new life has been breathed into this place. Today we happily hand KOT over to its new users.
The project was carried out using an 8 million zloty revitalisation loan granted under the Regional Operational Programme of the Pomorskie Region for 2014-2020. The remainder of the amount was covered from the company's own funds. The total cost was 13 million zloty.
– On one hand, we are reclaiming a tenement building that was indeed in a very poor state. On the other, we are gaining a place that will be alive, that will flourish. This also fits into our development strategy, one of the aims of which is to create an attractive, innovative city. We also care a great deal about this being a place where cultural events take place, with cinema and music – said Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, during the briefing. – I would also like this place to become part of the life of Garncarska Street, which is changing a great deal, with more and more food and drink venues opening here. Once a year, this street also holds its own festival. I think this is a very good tradition of building a local community while respecting those who live here on a daily basis.
– The whole area nearby is changing. We are in the process of building an above-ground crossing at the Main Railway Station, which means that all pedestrian traffic from that area will be focused precisely on Garncarska Street – said Piotr Grzelak, Deputy Mayor of Gdańsk for Sustainable Development and Investment. – In January this year we adopted development programmes. We spoke about free time throughout the whole year, because although Gdańsk is a tourist city, it is also attractive to its residents. The aim is to build an artistic and cultural offering, but also to let residents breathe a little during the high season. We must build a stable economic and tourism industry.
Old walls – new life
Modernisation of the tenement building began in December 2022, though the first securing and tidying works, along with the roof renovation, were already carried out in May 2021. Construction work was completed on 30 April 2024. Finishing works, furnishing and handover procedures followed. The total floor area of KOT is 1,000 m2. During the restoration of the building to a usable condition, all installations were replaced: electrical, water and sewage. All floor slabs were reinforced and partially replaced. New hydrant, telecommunications and fire protection installations were laid. New acoustic insulation was installed. Waterproofing of the foundations and external walls was carried out. All windows and doors were replaced, the front façade was refreshed, and the ventilation from the courtyard side was repaired and insulated.
– When we passed the resolution for Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie to carry out this investment, some councillors wondered whether this was indeed the right entity to deliver such a task. I think today we will see that they have risen to that challenge, and we, the councillors, will be able to say with satisfaction that we made the right decision back then, so that this place could regain its former glory, the history that many residents of Gdańsk know and probably feel sentimental about – said Kamila Błaszczak, Deputy Chair of the KO group in Gdańsk City Council.
Culture, entertainment, free time
KOT welcomes its first guests on Saturday, 29 June from 4.00 pm. From Sunday, 30 June, it will operate daily from 9.00 am to 2.00 am. Each of the four renovated levels will house a different space.
The OFF level, the lowest level, is a cinema-and-club zone with a bar, home to the first squat-style cinema screening room with 18 seats and a small artistic space. Level 0 is the dining area, with the Masło Maślane restaurant serving Polish cuisine reimagined, and Pizza Cat, serving New York-style pizza. Level +1 is the Miau Miau café. Level +2/3 is the Spektrum cinema, seating 100 people and fitted with top-quality equipment and sound systems. The first screenings begin on 29 June, with ticketed showings. Spektrum cinema is programmed by the creators of the Octopus Film Festival and VHS Hell. The programme will feature both new releases and genre film classics. The top floor houses the MONK bar, a social bar space with a club-and-pub atmosphere.
– As Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie, we thank you for the trust placed in us and for entrusting us with the task of revitalising and reactivating this place. We are bringing traffic back to Garncarska Street and reviving a place that held enormous significance for our city. It was once home to a restaurant, a hotel, an entertainment and cultural club with jazz concerts, and above all the Drukarz cinema. Kot draws on Gdańsk's rich history, on spending free time and on togetherness, while also being a modern place that meets the needs of today – summed up Paweł Orłowski, President of Międzynarodowe Targi Gdańskie. – The investment was an enormous challenge. It was necessary to rebuild practically all the water and electrical installations, all the floor slabs and the roof required renovation, we installed a lift in the building, and we rearranged spaces that were originally completely unusable. The investment cost 13 million zloty, of which 8 million came from the revitalisation loan. The remainder was covered from the company's own funds. The project is profitable and settled through operator rent. A full concept of a club and concept cinema is being created here. This is the first instance in the Tri-City where a once-existing cinema is being recreated within the urban fabric, opening onto the street and connecting with the city.
