Hotel Forum, Kracow – Miniature Concrete Model

Model 080_Hotel Forum, Poland – Miniature Concrete Model
Hand-cast in fine concrete. Shaped by memory.

Some buildings refuse to blend in. Hotel Forum on the Vistula riverfront is one of Kraków’s most imposing late-modern landmarks, a piece of Polish Brutalism that still dominates the waterline.

Designed by Janusz Ingarden and developed through the 1970s, the project was created as a major, state-era hotel in a prime position near Wawel Castle. The design has that unmistakable Forum silhouette: a long, heavy slab lifted above the ground on massive supports, curving along the river like a concrete ship coming into dock.

Construction began in 1978 and the hotel finally opened in 1988, after a decade shaped by the economic crisis of the 1980s. It operated as a hotel until 2002, and since then its life has shifted into a patchwork of temporary uses and cultural activity. Recently, its exterior was added to the register of historic monuments, recognising its architectural significance even as its future use continues to evolve.

I love Hotel Forum for the way it plays with weight and suspension. Capturing that sense of hover in concrete took time. I iterated the stance again and again so the raised body, the deep underside, and the long curve still read clearly at miniature scale. The goal was to keep the building’s mood intact: severe, futuristic, and strangely elegant when the light hits those repetitive window bands.

A small cast of a Kraków icon, made to hold a bigger story of place and time.

Features
• Solid cast concrete, individually hand-poured
• 3cm high, 10cm wide, 5cm deep (approx)
• Laser-etched cork base with building name
• Comes gift-boxed for the perfect concrete gift
• Designed, modelled, and finished in the UK

This is for architects, urban explorers, Polish modernism fans, and anyone who carries Kraków memories, river walks, nights out, student years, a first trip, a last trip. It sits on a desk or shelf like a quiet landmark, bringing that Vistula curve back into view whenever you need it.

15% off when you order two or more models

EU customers: please order via my Etsy shop due to customs regulations

Building Information

Location: Kraków, Poland
Architect: Janusz Ingarden
Completed: Opened 1988
Status: Former hotel, closed 2002; register of historic monuments 

Brief Overview:
Hotel Forum was planned as a flagship, late-communist era hotel for Kraków, positioned dramatically on a bend in the Vistula. Its defining move is structural and theatrical at once: a long, curved accommodation block lifted above ground level, creating an undercroft and a powerful horizontal presence on the skyline. Over time, the building has shifted from hospitality to a more improvised second life, while continuing to stand as one of the clearest expressions of Polish late modernism and Brutalist massing in the city.

Please note:

ALL EU ORDERS processed through our Etsy Store HERE

My concrete sculptures are individually hand cast in solid concrete. This means that each piece will have distinctive markings and minor blemishes due to air bubbles in the concrete. This is a natural part of the material and will mean that no two pieces are ever exactly the same.

Shipping:
I aim to make and ship your artwork within 30 days. If you require your order by a specific date before this please let me know.

Express shipping options at checkout for additional costs