Auditorium Maximum UJ, the conference center of the Jagiellonian University
address: ul. Krupnicza 33, 31-123 Kraków, Poland
The venue of ESSDERC/ESSCIRC 2019 Conferences is Auditorium Maximum, the conference center of the Jagiellonian University. The conference center is conveniently located right in the middle of Kraków, a 10-minute walk from the main square of Old Town. The building’s function and form are drawn from classical models worked out in the civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea basin. The main room is inspired by a Roman amphitheatre, in which the central figure was that of the speaker/actor and also allows for spectators’ mutual observation and interaction. Geometrical divisions of the facade, in turn, draw from the Greek temple with seven spaces in a colonnade. Yet this order is disturbed by the asymmetric division into two spaces forming the entrance zone. This results from the context and urbanistic order, with the building closing the perspective of Wenecja street. The entrance arcades surrounding the building serve as a meeting space for the academic circles. Plus, they act as a specific type of ‘threshold’ space, semi-private in contrast with the public character of street space. The main auditorium’s structure has been ‘rotated’ around a central spot to allow for arranging a ‘patio’. The centre, able to accommodate 1200 participants, offers also a complex of conference halls and support areas. Around the Centre, a special complex for transportation has been erected encompassing ground level parking lots, a bus and minibus terminal and an area for mobile transmission units, as well as all underground parking.
Online view of Auditorium Maximum: http://maximum.wkraj.pl/#/12557/0
