In the student COMPETITION for a press REPORT on architecture, the jury awarded two equal second-degree honorable mentions to Maja Czarnecka for her report entitled "Known material - unknown space" and Alina Celichowska for her work entitled "The world of the selfish". "The world of selfies". Below we publish Maja Czarnecka's reportage. We encourage you to read it!
Maja Czarnecka - a student of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology. As part of the Archi-adventuresprogram organized by the National Cultural Center, she conducts classes on architecture in elementary school and kindergarten. She is also active in the "Kreatura" Student Circle at the Krakow branch of the Association of Polish Architects, where she is working on the Krakow Urban Archi-gameproject.
Known material - unknown space
Nearly one-third of Poles live in blocks of flats, a large part of which is the so-called great plate. The residential buildings, which were built in the second half of the 20th century, are now often frightening in their appearance. The shabby and dirty facades accurately show the division of prefabricated buildings, while others have been insulated and painted with unfortunate colors. Apartments tend to be small, and the walls between them poorly insulate sound. Balconies are sometimes neglected, neighborhood playgrounds are remnants of a previous era, the number of buildings and their height overwhelms. Among Poles, the grand slab arouses rather negative emotions, being a relic of the People's Republicof Poland and a reminder of sad times for Poland. However, prefabricated concrete architecture does not everywhere have to be associated with a depressing, gray space.
Kungshamra estate
In Stockholm, in the municipality of Solna, there is the Kungshamra student settlement. I spent five days there. I stayed overnight with a friend, a Swedish woman. When I first arrived at the place, it was already dark. Despite this, I immediately recognized that the architecture of the estate had nothing to do with Scandinavian philosophy. At the same time, I felt very comfortable there, which also surprised me, because how can prefabricated concrete modules create a pleasant space? I decided to explore the topic of the history of the place.
Kungshamra housing development
Photo: Maja Czarnecka
The Kungshamra estate was built in the 1960s of the previous century. The competition for the design of the estate was won in 1962 by the ELLT architectural office. The buildings were erected in the Skarne system, popular in Sweden at the time. Two types of buildings were constructed from prefabricated concrete slabs: three-story blocks with single rooms sharing bathrooms and kitchens, and one-story buildings with family apartments, somewhat resembling semi-collective housing. A total of 812 apartments were built, including 260 family apartments.
It might seem that the omnipresent concrete grayness of the development is not a suitable place for students, young people full of energy and a desire to live. However, I did not perceive Kunghsamra as a place full of melancholy at all. The harshness of the concrete forms was broken by the colorful window frames and their non-accidental shapes. Each function of the rooms in the apartments was assigned a different window frame color and shape. Small, square yellow windows are located in the kitchen and bathroom. Larger squares in a blue frame are bedrooms. A purple rectangular window divided by tiers symbolizes the living room. The building's front door is marked in green.
Despite the fact that the areas between the houses are almost entirely covered with concrete, care has been taken to ensure the presence of greenery inside the complex. There are small green belts under the windows, where flowers grow. Trees have been planted between the buildings, and a green square has been designed in the center of the establishment.
center of the estate
Photo: Maja Czarnecka
comfortable life of a student
The standard of Kungshamra is worth comparing to Polish dormitories. The apartments in the Kungshamra estate are as large as sixty-four square meters. They consist of an entrance hall, a bathroom, a large living room (which can easily be divided into a living room and a dining room), a small kitchen and two bedrooms. They have good conditions for studying and even having a family! In buildings more like a typical dormitory, there are ten single rooms per kitchen and bathroom. In comparison, in one of the largest academic estates in Poland, the AGH Student Town in Cracow, there are up to eighty people per kitchen in a dormitory! Triple and double rooms are available for rent. For several months I lived in the lowest-standard rooms, which are the largest number in the AGH township. For this reason, the conditions of the Swedish settlement surprised me all the more. Knowing the Polish reality, the difference seemed huge to me also because both estates were built at a similar time.
not only architecture
A very important role in the perception of the space created by ELLT architects is played by the urban planning of the estate. The complex consists of six identical groups of buildings. Each group consists of one three-story building, two single-story corner buildings and three simple houses, also single-story. All buildings are always positioned in relation to each other in the same way, forming small squares in the center of the group. An important aspect is also the absence of car traffic inside the establishment, between the buildings. Parking lots are located on the main road. Such an action is good for human relations. Walking through the estate on foot, I met people and we exchanged smiles. Others were having spontaneous conversations. Someone was going to the laundry, someone was going to the university, someone else was going for a walk with a child. People were talking. The speed of walking allowed for close observation and a better understanding of the environment. From the position of a car, a person focuses his attention on other elements of space. Speed increases, which also negatively affects the analysis of the environment. Despite this kind of stimulation of the relationship between the resident and the environment and the short distances between houses, the estate was designed keeping in mind the intimacy of the students. From my friend's living room I could see the windows of other buildings, but they were far enough away that I couldn't see what was going on in other apartments.
In a housing development designed with young families in mind, no playground was built. This was a deliberate intention on the part of the architects, who considered the entire Kungshamra area to be a place for children to play. The first impression is that the buildings form a veritable maze. Since the estate is located on a slight slope of land, stairs were built in some places. The area, which is full of hiding places and natural but easy to overcome obstacles, can become a paradise for the youngest exploring the world. As I walked between the houses, I also felt a bit like a child. I was getting to know more nooks and crannies, which, despite their general regularity, were different from others. Somewhere more trees grew, somewhere the greenery was lower, in another place there was a ramp instead of stairs.
A frame from the Kungshamra housing development
photo: Maja Czarnecka
connection - concrete and forest
The student housing development was built in a place well connected to the university campuses. It took me about ten minutes to walk from Kungshamra to the subway station. There is also a very well organized network of bicycle paths in the area. On the day of my departure, a friend took me for a walk. We walked through the forest that practically permeates the estate and ended up at the castle park, next to which was one of Stockholm's lakes. The amount of concrete in the estate compensates for the greenness of the nearby nature. Even if residents feel overwhelmed by the city, they can go for a relaxing walk or jog at any time.
The forest permeates the estate
photo: Maja Czarnecka
open your mind
I can't compare typical Polish large-panel blocks of flats with the Kungshamra estate, as they are completely different in character. All they have in common is a similar function and technology and building material. By showing the Stockholm estate in the context of Polish housing developments from the 20th century, I present the technology, which is badly associated in our country, from a different perspective. It turns out that what is the curse of Polish cities was used differently in another part of Europe. It created a positive space, promoting social activity, not overwhelming in size. Perhaps the material doesn't matter much here, since urban planning and the standard of housing have a big impact on the quality of life. However, for me, a student of architecture, changing the context while leaving the controversial material is an important experience. It opens the mind to exploration and proves that rejecting familiar materials or forms can be a mistake. Even among what we don't like, fear or accept, we can find inspiration and learn to use it in a positive way.
Maja CZARNECKA
Alufire was a partner of the competition
