We need peace and quiet not only on holidays. Thus, the list of urban "quiet parks" is lengthening around the world . Such, where nature and space arrangements allow you to soothe your nerves better than in a typical urban green space. In Poland, it is increasingly common to hear about such a park in one of the abandoned stadiums.
This former sports arena no longer resembles a noisy venue for sports games. The earthen grandstands are overgrown with a young forest, and the field's plate is a mature meadow. Nature has annexed this abandoned place over the past quarter century. Not only plants, but also wild animals have found a place for themselves here. This is how Poznan's Szyc Stadium (formerly named after July 22) looks like, almost in the very center of the city. More and more often the phrase "park of silence" is being said in its context. It was mentioned during the announcement of the conceptual competition for the development of the entire city quarter (the competition is ongoing, we wrote more about it here). The city's rulers also recalled such an idea, and a few days ago - Professor Monika Bakke, philosopher, head of the Center for Environmental Humanities at the Adam Mickiewicz University, told Poznan's "Gazeta Wyborcza" about its details.
Poznan's former Szyc Stadium, autumn 2022, stands overgrown with dense forest
photo: Jakub Glaz
In an interview with Violeta Szostak, she pointed out the numerous benefits of arranging such a park combined with relatively low costs (preserving existing trees and biodiversity without having to remove, for example, the ruined small architecture of the stadium). Finally, of course, she raised the importance of peace and quiet in everyday life, which dovetails with research on surrounding noise. Intuitive observations indicating that noise does harm have found further confirmation in recent years. For example, as shown by Dutch and Spanish researchers in the journal PLOS Medicine, urban noise affects cognitive decline and memory in schoolchildren.
The former Szyc Stadium in Poznań, autumn 2022; remnants of stadium benches could remain in a space given over to "wild" nature
photo: Jakub Głaz
silent list
Hence - it is useful not only to reduce noise in the normal fabric, but also enclaves where silence plays a major role allowing isolation from the hustle and bustle. Certifying and rewarding such places is handled by a non-profit organization from the United States, also mentioned by Bakke: Quiet Parks International (QPI). One of the groups of quiet places singled out by QPI are green spaces of cities (urban quiet parks). The still short list is dominated by parks in European cities(with Stockholm leading the way) and one park in Taiwan. The list of nominees (evaluation of their quietness is now underway) already includes locations from North America and Australia.
The former Szyc Stadium in Poznań, autumn 2022; mature trees grow on the earthen stands
photo: Jakub Głaz
Perhaps - if this is what the results of the Poznan competition indicate - Poznan's former stadium will be the first Polish spot on the list. Its conditions are ideal: surrounded by an earthen embankment, it creates an acoustically and spatially isolated enclave of unique character. One in which it will probably not be difficult to get users to desist from loud talking, shouting, picnicking or other noisy behavior. After necessary, but - as it seems - minimal architectural interventions in this space - it will be able to play the role of a place of tranquility or meditation (except, of course, for those moments when F-16 fighter pilots from the Poznan base are practicing over the city, and young people are testing the roaring engines of tuned cars).
Poznan's former Szyc Stadium, autumn 2022, the isolated area is popular for themed walks and occasional cultural activities
photo: Jakub Głaz
a quarrel with the plan? there you go!
What are the chances that such a scenario will be realized? After all, the local plan encompassing the stadium, adopted six years ago, stipulates that the site of the defunct arena is to be used as a "service area - sports and recreation in downtown development." In the terms and conditions of the ongoing competition, the City is consciously allowing polemics against such a provision:
Thenatural changes that have taken place in the area after the Edmund Szyc stadium undermine the legitimacy of the provisions of the current planning documents for the area, therefore the goal of the Competition is to obtain the best balanced programmatic and spatial solution for the area covered by the Competition taking advantage of natural natural conditions [...].The organizer allows discussion with the findings of the local spatial development plans and the study of the conditions and directions of spatial development of the City of Poznań.
silence and tragic history
Such an indication is another step toward recognizing that the stadium site and its surroundings should be primarily a green area on the edge of the so-called southern green wedge cutting into Poznań along the Warta River from the Wielkopolski National Park.Just over a decade ago this was not so obvious - there was a developer offensive going on at the time, which even wanted to erect residential high-rise buildings in the place of the stadium (for more on the social battle over the stadium, see our article mentioned earlier). Later, the mayor of Poznań dreamed of having a philharmonic hall on the site.
Finally, there is another aspect that should, nomen omen, resound in the stadium's "park of silence." It is the commemoration of the Jewish prisoners who were barrained within the stadium (in its first form of 1929). The stadium was not only their place of accommodation, but also their place of death (public executions on gallows standing nearby). In addition, during the occupation they built, among other things, today's city lakes: Rusalka and Maltańskie.
Poznan's former Szyc Stadium, autumn 2022; one gate with occasional ribbons hung to commemorate Poznan's Jews
photo: Jakub Głaz
In the contemplative green space into which the former stadium will perhaps be transformed, it would be worthwhile to ensure a stronger remembrance of those who created other urban recreation sites (the existing small obelisk a few hundred meters from the stadium is a bit too little). Perhaps it would not be out of the question to move to one of the sites of the quiet park several matzevot, which to this day(!) serve as reinforcement of the banks of Lake Rusalka.
