The existing Częstochowa train station is an icon of postmodernism. With spacious interiors, waiting rooms, commercial spaces and those provided for culture and education, the building has taken the form of a multifunctional center. The potential of the station and the square in front of it can be developed, creating a city-forming local center. Unfortunately, the PKP authorities see the station's future differently. There are plans to demolish the current building and build a small entrance area.
An icon of postmodernism
The less than thirty-year-old building of the current station was built on the basis of a design prepared by the Cracow architect Ryszard Frankowicz and a team of sixteen collaborators. Construction lasted from 1989 to 1996 and was divided into several stages. Erection of the main building began in 1994. Three years earlier, a walkway with waiting rooms over the tracks was put into use, which was connected with the organization of the 6th World Youth Day.
photo: NEO / wikimedia commons
The PKP, however, underestimates the value of the post-modern facility and points out that it is too big for the current traffic volume, and the costs it generates for maintenance are too high. The answer to these problems is to be a multimillion-dollar investment to demolish the current station building and build a small entrance area with several ticket offices in its place. As pointed out by the Ministry of State Assets, which has been approached by activists from the Elanex Group who are defending the building against demolition, the Częstochowa Station no longer meets today's standards expected by potential commercial space tenants and travelers. In addition, the high cost of maintenance significantly increases the cost of leasing space, which in turn translates into a lack of interest in leasing. However, will travelers appreciate a many times smaller facility with no additional infrastructure and a road interchange in place of the existing Council of Europe Square?
The representative edifice from 1996, after interior remodeling, would be perfect for a community center with a mediatheque and library, and there would easily be room for a service and retail section as well. Since PKP does not need the facility, the city should take the initiative. Unfortunately, the Częstochowa authorities are so far not interested in saving the station from demolition, so the railroaders are preparing to demolish it. We don't want Czestochowa to lose one of its symbols due to clerical ineptitude, and its place to be taken by another parking lot or maneuveringarea - Elanex Group.
photo: NEO / wikimedia commons
ballet at the train station
Urszula Brylewska, director of the Community Ballet School, which has its headquarters there, also stood up in defense of the existing building of the Częstochowa train station. The Ballet School has been operating at the train station since 2017. Brylewska points out that it is a great place for cultural and educational activities as well, due to its great connectivity. The school has nearly 400 sq. m. of space there, including two practice rooms (190 and 60 sq. m.), offices, costume storage, and four toilets. The rooms are spacious, bright, and equipped with underfloor heating. The new building will lack such spaces.
city council against
City councilors have also joined the ranks of defenders of the Częstochowa train station. The City Council voted in favor of preserving the main building at Council of Europe Square. In favor was the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) club, supported by one vote from Left Councilman Ryszard Szczuka. Councilors cooperating with the mayor abstained from voting. The mayor of Czestochowa officially does not speak on the station, indicating that its future lies in the hands of PKP. The position adopted by the city council is not binding, but gives a clear signal to the investor.
We see the possible demolition of the building as an unnecessary expenditure of public funds, contradicting the principle of sustainable development. In our opinion, the funds provided for the demolition of the grand edifice and the disposal of thousands of tons of construction waste should be used to modernize the current station building. Adapted to new standards, the building can successfully perform functions related to passenger service, commerce, services and cultural and educational activities. (...) We believe that the demolition of a representative and architecturally interesting building, which has positively contributed to the landscape of our city, is not a rational idea - the position of the councilors.
competition
The design of the new building of the "entrance zone", which is to replace the train station, was selected in an architectural competition. It was won by the Toprojekt studio from Rybnik, which proposed a cuboid block suspended over the tracks, whose artistic expression is to be built by horizontal strips of razor blades shading the interior.
Photo: Toprojekt
The project underwent some modifications after the competition, related to criticism of the solutions used in the space of the planned square. The entrance area was also enlarged to replace the existing infrastructure. A bus station will also be partially hidden under the overhanging body of the station, with access roads dominating the surrounding public space.
Photo: Toprojekt
Life in Częstochowa is centered around Najświętszej Marii Panny Avenue. This strong spatial structure dominates the urban layout of the city. Wladyslaw Bieganski Square has never taken over the role of a market, and its central function spills over the entire axis from St. Sigismund's Church to the monastery hill.As a result, by overextending, the traditional center is somewhat blurred. In addition to activating more of the downtown, this strategy is turning the city into a more pedestrian-friendly one. The new train station with its accompanying urban structure meets all these criteria, being itself a very strong traffic generator. A strong and long, almost landscaped block thrown over the tracks is to connect Liberty Avenue with Marszałka J. Piłsudzkiego Street. The extension of the building in the second phase, up to the eastern frontage of Liberty Avenue, will allow it to be contacted from NMP Avenue for more than three hundred meters, the authors of the concept.
