A new holiday attraction could be the National Trail of Urban Pans. For even though we know that stone or concrete squares with little greenery are a mistake, new specimens of this type keep arriving. This year, Łomża residents are testing their newly "revitalized" Old Market. With what results?
The renovation of the Łomża Old Market space took a very long time, almost three years. Work on the project by Bialystok-based architect Zenon Zabagla (Atelier Zetta) began in 2020. However, when the basement of the former city hall was discovered, the investment was put on hold for a year, archaeologists came to the site, and the project was changed to expose the findings. Later there was a change in the contractor, and it was necessary to hold a tender and work with a new company. Thus, the market in its new shape started operating not as planned in 2021, but a few months ago. In mid-June the official opening took place. Now the first summer season is starting.
The Old Market in Łomża after the revaluation—View of the square from the west, on the left the Hall of Culture and the exhibition of excavations, behind it—the reconstructed well.
Opposite, the town hall from 1823 and its new part from 1998
Photo: Jakub Głaz
attack of small maples
One glance is enough to recognize that this is not a development that takes into account climate change, increasingly hot summers or residents' expectations for greening urban spaces. The spacious square is lined primarily with granite. Large slabs lie in the middle, on the roadways all around—fine cobblestones. Fifteen common globular maples—a decorative species that never reaches a sizable size—grow between the roadways and the central area . Originally there were supposed to be half as many anyway, the current number was won over by residents and the media. The square is also surrounded by stylized lanterns, on which flower pots hang.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—New fountain with benches and Hanka Bielicka's bench (left)
photo: Jakub Głaz
In the southwestern part of the square stood a sizable stone fountain with a circular plan, surrounded by benches and water jets in the floor. Meanwhile, on the northern side—archaeologists' discoveries were exposed. Under the elevated glass panel above the floor level, fenced with strips of wooden benches, one can see cellars—these were probably the basement of the city hall tower. Unfortunately, contrary to what can be seen in the design visualizations, one is not allowed to enter this glass canopy.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—Exposition of archaeological relics
photo: Jakub Głaz
Theoutline of the walls of the former town hall, demolished in 1826, has been marked in turn by field stones in the square's surface. Next to it is an overbuilt well, whose relics were also discovered during the excavations.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—Exposure of the outline of the walls of the former town hall made of fieldstones
photo: Jakub Głaz
Closer to the current seat of the city government located in the eastern frontage, there is also a model of the Market Square in its pre-war shape. The square does not yet have a monument to Prince Janusz, which is also to be erected in front of the town hall.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—one of five parklets added to the square.
Photo: Jakub Głaz
hall makes a move
The stone space tries to diversify with five wooden parklet-type structures with seats, a tree in a pot and flowers. There is very little low greenery, not even incorporated into the stairs with seating on the west side by the Hall of Culture.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—the Culture Hall and steps with seats on the west side
photo: Jakub Glaz
Meanwhile, the Hall of Culture itself, put into use two years ago after the successful adaptation of a 1928 market hall (the adaptation project was also designed by Zenon Zabagla), is very important for the Market. The events it organizes help attract residents to the square. This was the case, for example, last Sunday during the afternoon events of the "Folk for Us" Festival of Cultures. An hour before the event, however, the square was empty. People mostly gathered at the fountain and used parklets. The stone stretches of the Market did not find any amateurs, understandably so, as the lack of tall trees, more benches and enclaves of low greenery planted in the ground in the square is agonizing.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—View of the Culture Hall from the south. On the light pedestal—a model of the pre-war Old Town. On the right—common ball maples
Photo: Jakub Głaz
This does not mean, however, that it is an unequivocally unsuccessful realization. Noteworthy is the high quality of materials and workmanship, as well as the fact that the form and type of pavement continue the solutions previously used on neighboring streets—a comprehensive approach to the space of the renovated Old Town is evident.
The surface of Długa Street at the junction with the Old Market Square
photo: Jakub Głaz
Thelight gray slab of the square also does not compete with the architecture surrounding the Market and complements it well. The trees are far too small, but their rows emphasize the outline of the central part sensibly. However, they could successfully be specimens of species with much larger, spreading crowns. For the green half of the year they would certainly not fully obscure the market frontages, and they would certainly improve the microclimate. Especially since, except for the city hall and a few sparse buildings, the buildings in the Old Market are post-war creations (such as the southern frontage with pseudo-Baroque townhouses designed by Ursula and Adolf Ciborowski). Thus, these are not buildings that would need to be strongly exposed for historical reasons. On the contrary—in winter the openwork of boughs would only add to the frontage.
Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—View of the square from the north, with a new fountain and frontage of post-war pseudo-Baroque townhouses
Photo: Jakub Głaz
Greenery—the whip of the communists?
No wonder, then, that after the renovation was completed, some Łomża residents spoke of "concretization." Especially since many residents have the right to remember the green arrangement of the square from the communist era: with mature trees, lawns, flower beds full of flowers and a fountain. This form ceased to exist back in the 1990s. The greenery was cut down and the square was paved with red concrete cubes. Its northern part and the edges of the roadway served as parking lots. A few undersized trees grew. Why, even if only in part, was the green solution of a few decades ago not returned? A peculiar explanation was given by Łomża Deputy Mayor Andrzej Garlicki, quoted by Radio Nadzieja:
As we know from experts, in cities such as Łomża, these squares of old markets were wooded so that in front of city halls and authority buildings, rallies and meetings could not be held. This was part of eliminating the opposition. This had no historical justification. This square was eliminated in the 1990s and a red square was created. This was a return to the Old Market concept known for centuries, that is, the market square.
Only that the Market no longer functions as a market square, and a few years ago Magdalena Gawin, then acting General Conservator of Antiquities, ruled that the orthodox abandonment of greenery in historic squares made little sense. Finally, if the thesis about greenery targeting the communist opposition was true, Defilad Square and other capital spaces would have been urban jungles in 1989.
The Old Market Square in Łomża after revaluation—A view of the City Hall frontage. Opposite, the postmodern 1998 authorities building, designed by Jerzy Ullman
Photo: Jakub Głaz
unscrewing the granite
Anyway, the Łomża magistrate must be aware of these shortcomings. In a text from two days ago on the City's official website, Deputy Mayor Garlicki talks about the parklets now inserted into the square's space in this way:
Being aware of the needs of our residents in terms of urban greenery, as well as the aesthetic effect, we are systematically replenishing the vegetation in the Old Square.
It looks as if—in order for the Old Market to truly enjoy success and sympathy—such elements will increase over time. After the five-year shelf life associated with EU funding (more than half of the PLN 10 million spent on the revaluation)—the authorities will probably decide to "unpave" part of the square and plant more mature trees. As, for example, in Sopot, where such a change took place in the Friends of Sopot Square after a decade since its modernization, or in Wloclawek, where—as part of the Civic Budget—the Old Market, the same one that eight years ago, after modernization, became one of the first symbols of Polish concourse, will be strongly greened.
It is therefore highly likely that this will happen in Łomża as well. However, why was it necessary to implement a rather archaic project, when there was already widespread substantive criticism of similar implementations even before the reconstruction began?
