OKO - Interactive Fairy Tale and Animation Centre

The Interactive Centre of Fairy Tales and Animation OKO was created on the historic site of the Animated Film Studio in Bielsko-Biała, home to iconic Polish cartoon characters. The complex integrates the revitalized Roth's Villa and a new building linked by a glass connector. The architecture combines the roles of a museum and an educational hub. It houses a cinema hall, exhibition spaces, a digital archive, and an animators’ zone. The design honors local heritage while introducing a contemporary quality to the city’s urban fabric.

The project’s concept is based on dialogue between history and modernity. The architects sought a form that would emphasize the site’s symbolic meaning, bridging the past and future of the Animated Film Studio. The minimalist volume, featuring a concrete façade perforated like a film strip, serves as a metaphor for visual continuity. The interior was conceived as a storytelling space—open, flexible, and filled with light. The design integrates harmoniously into the traditional urban context, maintaining the scale and proportions of the adjacent Roth's Villa.

The new building features a monolithic reinforced-concrete structure with an architectural-concrete facade perforated to evoke a film reel motif. The courtyard elevation doubles as a projection screen, while surrounding concrete blocks form an amphitheatrical outdoor auditorium. Large glazing ensures fluid interaction between interior and exterior spaces. The historic Roth's Villa underwent comprehensive façade restoration and installation upgrades. Sustainable, durable materials and energy-efficient solutions complete the architectural composition.