Although it was created as the representative center of Lodz's New Town, for many decades it served as a busy traffic circle used by cars, buses and streetcars. Today, six months after the completed revitalization, residents have returned to Liberty Square. The diametrical change in the use of one of the city's most important spaces came about thanks to a project created by two studios - mamArchitekci and A2P2 Architecture & Planning. How is Freedom Square performing after the redevelopment?
The revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz has been talked about for at least a dozen years. The first competition was announced as early as 2007, but the winning project was hampered by problems in finding a contractor. Another project was presented in 2013 by Marek Janiak. The bold concept envisaged a complete reorganization of Liberty Square by moving the Tadeusz Kosciuszko monument towards the exit of Nowowiejska Street. The concentric arrangement of the space was to be reminded by the concentric drawing of granite slabs in the square. Vehicles were also to disappear from the southern part of the establishment. However, the project was heavily protested and the city, once again, abandoned the reconstruction of Liberty Square. Instead, a Functional and Utility Program developed by EGIS was presented in 2016. It laid the groundwork for the project, which was completed for the city in 2020 by a consortium of mamArchitekci and A2P2 studios.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
some history
In its nearly 200-year history, Liberty Square has undergone several significant transformations. It was created in 1823 as the "New Market," whose octagonal shape, unprecedented in Europe, was delineated by Rajmund Rembielinski, then Mazovian governor. The town square was to become the heart of the new clothmakers' settlement, which gave rise to the industrial power of Lodz. It was located on the route of the route connecting Piotrków Trybunalski with Zgierz, from where today's Piotrkowska Street, one of the most important arteries in Lodz, took its name. Very soon the first buildings appeared here - first a wooden inn, then the City Hall, the evangelical Holy Trinity Church and several tenement houses.
Freedom Square in Lodz before revitalization, September 2018.
Photo: Rakoon © CC0 | Wikimedia Commons
Initially, the "New Market" functioned as a marketplace. People traded here until 1898, when streetcars began running through the middle of the square. Less than thirty years later, another change took place, surrounding Liberty Square, as it had been called since 1918, with roadways where tracks and lanes for wheeled vehicles were designated. In 1930, a statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko appeared in the center of the octagonal establishment. Since then, the square has changed little. However, as the years passed, the shortcomings of the transportation solution adopted in the interwar period became increasingly apparent. Liberty Square was basically the center of a busy traffic circle - a pedestrian-unfriendly and noisy space, concreted over and devoid of trees and resting places. The former market square did not fulfill the representative function once assigned to it by Rajmund Rembielinski. The face of Liberty Square completely changed in early 2024, when work on its revitalization was completed. What were its assumptions?
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
Redevelopment of Liberty Square in Lodz
When preparing the functional-utility program and organizing the tender for the Square project, the City set its sights on a far-reaching metamorphosis. Freedom Square was to become, above all, a space accessible to pedestrians, full of greenery and places for rest. Streetcar and bus traffic was to be limited to the northern part of the square - the southern side was conceived as a representative square at the beginning of Piotrkowska Street. During the design work, the bureaus worked closely with city institutions and the preservation office. The cooperation, although necessary, also posed some problems:
We struggled with organizational difficulties. Designing came at a time of pandemonium, when the offices closed and we were slow to find our way in the new materiality. For us, cooperation with the offices was crucial. We had to develop one coherent version of the square based on different guidelines. In stalemates, we felt that this simply could not be done - to reconcile so many conflicting requirements in one place.
- writes Malgorzata Borys, co-founder of the mamArchitekci studio.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
a square with eight sides
In the end, however, it succeeded, and the effects are now appreciated by the citizens and residents of Lodz. In terms of spatial layout , the basic idea was to preserve the centralizing character of the Lodz square. This was achieved by leaving the Tadeusz Kosciuszko monument in its original location and delineating pedestrian routes that radiate from the foot of its pedestal. More than a century-old traction and lighting poles were also left from the old Liberty Square.
A major challenge was to develop a strategy for dealing with the historic poles, which perform lighting functions but also serve the streetcar traction. They have an internal lattice structure and external metal shells. At the design stage, they could not be dismantled because we would have stopped streetcar traffic. So the actual technical condition of these elements was unknown. At the same time, the conservator required their preservation, MPK had to be sure they would meet today's regulations, and the Contracting Authority needed a quote for the renovation work at the tender stage. In the end, the topic dragged on for a good part of the construction. The poles that stand in the yard today are either preserved in their entirety or have their original shells with the internal structure replaced.
- explains the co-author of the project.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
pedestrians to the left, streetcars to the right
However, Liberty Square is a completely new space. The most significant change that took place in it was the transfer of streetcar and bus traffic towards Nowowiejska Street, where four stops were created, making it easier for residents to change modes of transportation. Parking spaces have also disappeared from Liberty Square. They will no longer be needed, as the area will remain closed to cars in addition to public transportation vehicles. The space thus saved has been used to arrange greenery.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
retention is fundamental
In the course of the work, the lawns, which the Municipal Investment Board recommends as picnic spots, were landscaped, and thousands of shrubs and perennials were planted. There have also been 64 trees - not small saplings, as is usually the case with new plantings in city centers. The trees in Liberty Square are specimens whose crowns already protected residents from the heat in the first summer. As for the concept of filling Liberty Square with such a large number of trees , however, not everyone was convinced - there were concerns about changing the historic character of the place and the possibility of obscuring the perspective on historic buildings. The unusually hot summer and the catastrophic flood that ended it showed that the changes to Freedom Square were right on target. In addition to the retention-supporting vegetation, the project teams also took care of other aspects of the blue-green infrastructure:
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
The priority was to design green spaces so that they would receive rainwater. In Liberty Square, they are the ones that serve as storm drains. There is very little drainage in the paved surfaces, except for the track system which rules itself. Ground conditions (clay) do not allow rainwater to infiltrate into the ground, so in a situation of excess water it will be discharged through emergency overflows into the sewer system. Until then, a specially selected system of soil layers is designed to receive water from paved surfaces and store it, while not exposing plants to waterlogging. This is a complex system that was developed in collaboration with a great and dedicated BZI systems designer. The second stage of this struggle was implementation. The solutions, while natural, are nevertheless new to contractors, who approach them with disbelief and reserve.
- describes Malgorzata Borys, founder of the mamArchitekci studio.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
square like a dream
The revitalized Liberty Square also includes new infrastructure. A tubular playground appeared in the southern part of the square, away from the streetcar tracks, and a fountain was placed in front of the Tadeusz Kosciuszko monument. It was also possible to erect a new entrance pavilion for the Canal Museum "Tube", located under the square ' s slab. There are benches and other seating, and the square has also been adapted for wheelchair users. The changes have made Freedom Square a space that is once again vibrant:
Little in today's Liberty Square resembles the situation before the reconstruction. One constant is the Kosciuszko monument, the buildings around it, and functioning commercial establishments. Other than that, everything has changed. Vehicular traffic has been restricted. Streetcars were moved to the northern part of the square. Greenery was planted. The space was opened to cyclists and pedestrians, and it is the users who have changed the square. They appear on it in crowds. They sit on the benches or on the steps at Kosciuszko. They occupy the lawns - resting, playing ball, practicing acrobatics, posing for photo shoots. The youngest spend their time climbing on the playground device, the older ones watch the pigeons bathing in the fountain. What has happened in Freedom Square is a public space designer's dream realized.
- concludes the designer.
Revitalization of Liberty Square in Lodz.
Photo: Rafał Tomczyk © Czwarty Wymiar | mamArchitekci
For several years, Lodz has been consistently pursuing a plan to turn the industrial, concreted city into a green, livable space. The reconstruction of Liberty Square, which is being carried out as part of this plan, has already been hailed as a pearl of revitalization. Analyzing the project and the results of its implementation, it is difficult to disagree with this statement. Although the contractors were not immune to mistakes in art (incorrectly laid pavers, puddles), what matters most are the changes that have taken place in the way residents use this extremely important space. These changes are invaluable, as Freedom Square has been transformed from a busy traffic circle into a lively place that meets the needs of 21st century urban residents.
