Daria Kostaniak, a landscape architect and graduate of the University of Arts in Poznan concerned about the condition of the neglected courtyards of Poznan tenement houses, decided to transform them. Inspired by Japanese shoujo culture and Poznan legends, she introduced abundant greenery and unusual objects to the courtyards, which create the atmosphere of a mysterious garden.
Daria's project is her master's thesis "Dreams of Flowers and the Moon. Japanese shoujo culture - as a way of thinking about design on the example of Poznań tenements" was created under the supervision of Dr. Slawoj Dreszer in the Department of Bionics and Landscape at the Faculty of Architecture and Design at UAP.
in the project, the courtyard turns into a mysterious garden
© Daria Kostaniak
shoujo culture
Shoujo culture was born at the turn of the 20th century, in connection with the establishment of high schools for Japanese women. It was the beginning of a global pop culture targeting adolescent girls. It manifests itself through comic books, novels, music, games, fashion and design. The products of this culture are characterized by prioritization of emotions, feelings, moodiness, and aestheticization of everyday life. The main goal of shoujo culture is to escape from society's expectations of women, to an ideal, dream world. Flowers, dreams, dreams, moon and frills are words with which to describe this culture. An important concept associated with shoujo culture is akogare. It is an idea not found in our language and culture. It means a longing for something that does not exist. Akogare is, by definition, an impossible longing, and therein lies its charm [...]. Shoujo has a great therapeutic, calming potential in itself, helping to see the beauty of the world. For this reason, it is something that is highly desirable in the modern world and design [...]. - explains Daria Kostaniak.
The title of the master's thesis is "Dreams of flowers and the moon.Japanese shoujo culture
as a way of thinking about design on the example of Poznan townhouses".
© Daria Kostaniak
shoujo vs. landscape design
The author believes that space design is also about showing the user the surroundings - or the whole world - in a certain thoughtful context, the relationship of the whole and the detail. Hence, she concluded that there is a kind of correlation between shoujo and landscape design.
The concept introduces greenery, water and life into backyard spaces
© Daria Kostaniak
courtyards of poznañ tenements
Perceiving space through the prism of shoujo culture, Daria decided to use it to design a public space - the very neglected courtyards of Poznan tenement houses.
As I see it, the project should represent a long-term change in thinking about neighborhood space. It concerns not only the residents of the tenements to which the courtyards belong, but also all Poznań residents and tourists. The revitalized courtyards are to be semi-public spaces, open to the public at designated times. They are to serve residents as a place for relaxation and contact with greenery, and to exemplify solutions for visitors. This means that the designed spaces would be a tourist attraction for the city. The chain of tenement courtyards would constitute an organized tour route. The program of the proposed trail would tell successive stories taken from Poznan legends, the author says.
A projection of the courtyard at 52 Dabrowskiego Street
© Daria Kostaniak
change at Dabrowskiego 52 street
As an example of change, the author prepared a project for the development of a backyard at 52 Dabrowskiego Street in Poznan. The courtyard she chose is surrounded on all sides by the walls of tenement houses, and can be accessed only through one entrance (accessible to everyone), leading through the center of the tenement. The development is limited to concrete paving over the entire area, trash cans and a rusty arbor. When creating, the designer was inspired by a Poznan legend about a girl and a rat, drawing on the motifs of water and losing oneself in extreme, intense feelings that appear in it.
Telling Poznan legends is just one of several important functions of the revitalized courtyards. They are meant to serve residents as places of recreation, but are also meant to be part of Poznan's greenery system. If water is the leitmotif, the problem of drought and lack of small retention, which has been intensifying in Poland in recent years, cannot be ignored, Daria adds.
Funnel-shaped objects are rainwater collectors overgrown with lush greenery
© Daria Kostaniak
mysterious garden
Funnel-shaped objects serving as rainwater collectors, storing it in underground reservoirs from which it can then be drawn, became the basis of the project. At the same time, the molds made of transparent polycarbonate make room for greenery - lush, hanging vines and water plants. Inside the semi-transparent objects, the water is visible, the sun's rays reflecting in it and the stems of the plants submerged in it.
The fragments were intended for a flower meadow
© Daria Kostaniak
Fragments of space overgrown with a floral meadow, weeds and native perennials are also an important part of the courtyard. These are places for residents, they can grow plants on them, play, dry laundry, hold meetings.
The whole creates a small, enclosed world, associated with the dreams of carefree childhood. The variability of funnel-shaped objects, size, quantity, organized in overlapping images, create an unusual and intriguing atmosphere in the yard. The large amount of vegetation and dangling vines is meant to bring to mind a mysterious garden," concludes Daria Kostaniak.
