Last updated: October 2021
The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok ("green opera") in Białystok, is known for its green roofs, green walls and extensive gardens, which perfectly harmonize with the surroundings. The green area serves as a platform for cultural events and successfully promotes the city. Opera gardens are divided into several levels with lawns, walking paths, bridges, sculptures, and small ponds. Different green elements of the building reduce heat effect and noise, increase the thermal insulation of the building, improve local biodiversity and limit rain drainage to the city centre [1].
The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok (2018)
Photographer: Michał Heller/OiFP, retrieved 08/15/2018 from Małgorzata Kun (www.oifp.eu)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Green walls or facades
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Noise reduction
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Promotion of cultural diversity
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
1) Establishing the "green opera" brand which currently serves as an architectural 'business card' for the city of Białystok;
2) Designing a building with green roofs, walls and gardens which fit into the surroundings and provide a visitor-friendly space;
3) Minimizing rain drainage in the city centre, usually overflowing;
4) Reducing the heat island effect;
5) Strengthening the thermal insulation of the building;
6) Increasing public access to green spaces;
7) Increasing biodiversity;
8) Noise reduction [1].
Implementation activities
1. Building green roofs on the anti-corrosive roofing sheet with an absorbent mat - SSM45, FD40 drainage and SF nonwoven fabric. Further layers are selected using ZinCo's proven Polish technology and plants - mostly floral meadows, grasses and climbers;
2. Building retention tanks for excess rainwater;
3. Plantings greenery (vines, grasses, flowers, bushes, trees) [1,4]
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Main beneficiaries
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Public sector institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The city of Bialystok and the representatives of the Podlaskie Voivodship wrote jointly facilitated building of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok. The initiative was implemented with the help of national, local and EU funds [2].
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
(The project was funded by the national Operational Program Infrastructure and Environment, Priority XI Culture and Cultural Heritage, Action 11.2 within the framework of the EU 'Convergence' objective, co-funded by the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (2))
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Operational Program Infrastructure and Environment, Priority XI Culture and Cultural Heritage, Action 11.2 (2))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The city of Bialystok and the representatives of the Podlaskie Voivodship wrote a petition for building the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra - European Center for the Arts in Bialystok. The Sejmik of the Podlaskie Voivodeship adopted a resolution initiating the construction of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra - European Center for the Arts in Bialystok (resolution on the will to establish a European Center for Music and Art - Opera Podlaska).(2))
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
- Public national budget
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Project's facebook page, 'Podlaska Opera in Bialystok' ('OPERA PODLASKA w Białymstoku'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
2. Wikipedia page, 'Podlaska Opera and Philharmonic' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
3. Wojtkielewicz,W., (n.d.), 'Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra became greener. There are already vines and a green roof' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska zazieleniła się. Jest już winobluszcz i zielony dach'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
4. Kuźmiuk,A., (2011), 'Opera and Philharmonic Podlasie. Green walls, roof gardens' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska. Zielone ściany, ogrody na dachu'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
2. Wikipedia page, 'Podlaska Opera and Philharmonic' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
3. Wojtkielewicz,W., (n.d.), 'Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra became greener. There are already vines and a green roof' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska zazieleniła się. Jest już winobluszcz i zielony dach'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
4. Kuźmiuk,A., (2011), 'Opera and Philharmonic Podlasie. Green walls, roof gardens' ('Opera i Filharmonia Podlaska. Zielone ściany, ogrody na dachu'), Source link (Accessed: 01 September 2020).
The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok (2018)
Photographer: Michał Heller/OiFP, retrieved 08/15/2018 from Małgorzata Kun (www.oifp.eu)
The Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic – European Art Centre in Białystok (2018)
Photographer: Michał Heller/OiFP, retrieved 08/15/2018 from Małgorzata Kun (www.oifp.eu)