WXCA architects have designed a woonerf - an urban courtyard - in Warsaw's Praga district, a space to be shared by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Woonerf is a Dutch word, translated as "street for living," describing a type of public space that safely combines the functions of a street, pedestrian area, parking lot and meeting place for residents.
In the coming years, Warsaw's Środkowa Street, on the section between Kowieńska and Stalowa Streets, will be transformed into such a space - a street with the character of a pedestrianand roadway, where, while retaining its transportation function, a safe and green zone for neighborhood meetings will be created. The development of Środkowa Street is part of a larger plan to revitalize Warsaw's Praga district.
In their project, the team from the WXCA studio wanted to create a place that would unite the needs of different user groups and at the same time emphasize the character of the district's historic architecture. The new quality of the street will be created primarily by greenery, which will build a friendly background for activities that integrate residents. New trees and shrubs are to be placed alternately on both sides of the street so as to best expose the facades of the most valuable buildings.
visualization
© WXCA
Currently, Prague is one of the few places where neighborhood life takes place in public spaces. However, the streets and courtyards here are mostly devoid of greenery and dominated by cars, says Malgorzata Dembowska of WXCA, co-author of the project. - That's why we wanted the woonerf on Central Street to have the character of an urban garden with lush vegetation, the architect adds.
The essing of the pedestrian-vehicleroute proposed by the architects will slow down traffic and increase the safety of pedestrians, who will be able to use the entire street, which is five meters wide and without curbs. Drivers will move along a winding one-way road (direction of travel from Strzelecka Street to Stalowa Street), running between newly planted vegetation and parking spaces hidden among the greenery.
Central Street will completely change its character, but what can be seen in the visualizations is only part of the project. The biggest challenge in this task is to reconcile the new development with the existing underground infrastructure, says Monika Lemanska of WXCA, co-author of the project. - We hope that once we finish the arrangements with all the gestors, a place will be created whose aesthetics will have a strong impact on the residents, she adds.
