The Pontifical University – laying of the foundation stone

A new five-storey building is under construction at the Pontifical University, which will house, among others, an auditorium and lecture halls. On 4 November, the foundation stone was laid in the presence of representatives of the contractor, the NDI Group and representatives of the Employer, i.e., the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków.

“It is a special day for the academic community, but also for us as a general contractor. Once again, we have the privilege to implement a facility that will serve generations of young people in their education. The symbolic foundation stone marks the beginning of the history of this project, and we will strive to ensure that the facility is implemented efficiently, to the satisfaction of the Investor and future users,” said Małgorzata Winiarek-Gajewska, President of the NDI Group, during the ceremony.

The construction of the teaching facility was divided into two stages. The first included primarily earthworks, and currently reinforced concrete and structural works. Then work will begin on the roofing, the installation of external façades and the construction of the elevation.

“We are currently erecting the reinforced concrete structure of the building and carrying out waterproofing and thermal insulation of the underground part. We have completed the construction of the underground part, the ceiling at level 0 and vertical elements to level +1. Works on the +1 level ceilings and on the walls of the auditorium, which are concreted to the full height of three floors, are also being completed,” says Michał Stachoń, Project Manager from the NDI Group.

The construction team also faced new challenges: “We had to design and make additional piles, which we used as an intermediate foundation of the building at the bottom of the excavation in places where weaker soil appeared than the tender documentation assumed,” adds Michał Stachoń.

Reinforced concrete works will continue at the subsequent levels. Works on the beams and ceiling above the auditorium will also begin soon. Masonry works will begin in the near future as well. Regardless of the work inside, works on sanitary networks are carried out around the building.

Ultimately, the new teaching building will be merged with the existing library. The second stage of construction assumes finishing works along with the execution of electrical, telecommunication and sanitary installation works and the development of the area around the building.

The contractor has 12 months to complete both the first and second construction phases.

fot. Grzegorz Finowski/UPJPII