Finally on the right track
The city center serves as proof-behind the illuminated facade of Domy Towarowe Centrum on Marszałkowska the rugged walkway of Pasaż Wiecha has long been a place where one should better speed up rather than take a stroll. Uneven pavements, blank back walls of DTC-such a gap between Galeria Centrum and Chmielna is not becoming of a European city.
But things are beginning to change. Last week Warsaw-based Pracownia Architektoniczna MAAS, in co-operation with B&M Architekci won the competition for the revitalization of the area. The competition board unanimously awarded their unconventional, complex, original vision and a project that is 'ideologically rich' and complemented by interesting high-standard detailed solutions that can be easily carried out.
The competition, first such public-space oriented enterprise in Warsaw, was organized by the Warsaw Branch of SARP (Association of Polish Architects) on commission from Galeria Centrum's owner DTC Real Estate and in cooperation with the Chief Architect of Warsaw. It attracted seventeen teams, of which five were invited to the study stage of the competition: Broadway Malyan, Bulanda i Mucha Architekci together with MAAS, Aleksander Chylak, Greig & Stephenson and RKW Polska. What is so special about the MAAS and B&M project?
'The whole idea of this project was to achieve a similar effect as when you walk the Chmielna-a similar effect of intensity of experience-tenement after tenement, window after window, something changes all the time. And lots of trees and shrubs, as the investor wanted," said Dariusz Hyc of MAAS. The dull, 'closed' facade of the western wall of the passage is broken into smaller tenement-like facades with many windows; while benches and cafes will attract the pedestrians.
Another special feature of the project is the glass roofing of the passage.
"We decided to break down the facade of Galeria Centrum to make it like the facade of a small street, and we needed something to unite it," said Hyc. "We decided to place the roof so high when we compared this with similar solutions in other countries; and it had to be placed high to achieve a metropolitan character."
The winners' vision goes far beyond the 4,500 square meters of Pasaz Wiecha.
"The quarter between Swiętokrzyska, Nowy Świat, Aleje Jerozolimskie and Marszałkowska is similar in size to the Old Town," said Hyc. "We would like to suggest that in the future it should become like the Old Town, similar in character." With cafes open until late at night, the area could become both more attractive and safer, closed for car traffic but inviting for pedestrians.
According to Grzegorz Buczek, deputy chairman of the SARP board, if the winning project, possibly with some details from the other works, would be put into life Warsaw could actually experience an urban space of entirely different quality. And different, of course, means better.
The overall concept is ready, so what next?
The competition provided a bank of ideas the investor can now draw upon while preparing a detailed final project.
"We first need to look more closely at the winning concept and the other projects, so far for procedural reasons they have been kept secret," said Agata Mikolajczak of DTC Real Estate. The final result is yet to be seen, especially as the formalities are not yet settled. "The most important thing now are the negotiations with the city over how to carry out the whole project. We need to work out a solution together, only then will a detailed project be created. And negotiations are already underway," she added.
Whatever comes next, the first step into the future has already been made.
But things are beginning to change. Last week Warsaw-based Pracownia Architektoniczna MAAS, in co-operation with B&M Architekci won the competition for the revitalization of the area. The competition board unanimously awarded their unconventional, complex, original vision and a project that is 'ideologically rich' and complemented by interesting high-standard detailed solutions that can be easily carried out.
The competition, first such public-space oriented enterprise in Warsaw, was organized by the Warsaw Branch of SARP (Association of Polish Architects) on commission from Galeria Centrum's owner DTC Real Estate and in cooperation with the Chief Architect of Warsaw. It attracted seventeen teams, of which five were invited to the study stage of the competition: Broadway Malyan, Bulanda i Mucha Architekci together with MAAS, Aleksander Chylak, Greig & Stephenson and RKW Polska. What is so special about the MAAS and B&M project?
'The whole idea of this project was to achieve a similar effect as when you walk the Chmielna-a similar effect of intensity of experience-tenement after tenement, window after window, something changes all the time. And lots of trees and shrubs, as the investor wanted," said Dariusz Hyc of MAAS. The dull, 'closed' facade of the western wall of the passage is broken into smaller tenement-like facades with many windows; while benches and cafes will attract the pedestrians.
Another special feature of the project is the glass roofing of the passage.
"We decided to break down the facade of Galeria Centrum to make it like the facade of a small street, and we needed something to unite it," said Hyc. "We decided to place the roof so high when we compared this with similar solutions in other countries; and it had to be placed high to achieve a metropolitan character."
The winners' vision goes far beyond the 4,500 square meters of Pasaz Wiecha.
"The quarter between Swiętokrzyska, Nowy Świat, Aleje Jerozolimskie and Marszałkowska is similar in size to the Old Town," said Hyc. "We would like to suggest that in the future it should become like the Old Town, similar in character." With cafes open until late at night, the area could become both more attractive and safer, closed for car traffic but inviting for pedestrians.
According to Grzegorz Buczek, deputy chairman of the SARP board, if the winning project, possibly with some details from the other works, would be put into life Warsaw could actually experience an urban space of entirely different quality. And different, of course, means better.
The overall concept is ready, so what next?
The competition provided a bank of ideas the investor can now draw upon while preparing a detailed final project.
"We first need to look more closely at the winning concept and the other projects, so far for procedural reasons they have been kept secret," said Agata Mikolajczak of DTC Real Estate. The final result is yet to be seen, especially as the formalities are not yet settled. "The most important thing now are the negotiations with the city over how to carry out the whole project. We need to work out a solution together, only then will a detailed project be created. And negotiations are already underway," she added.
Whatever comes next, the first step into the future has already been made.
