During this year's BUDMA, we organized a student urban planning and architectural workshop. As an area to be developed, we proposed the Lower Lazarus area, which requires an in-depth repair strategy and a rethinking of the function of the existing buildings there. Students from the Faculty of Architecture at Poznan University of Technology, under the supervision of Dr. Bartosz Kazmierczak, worked intensively for three days to create a new functional and urban planning proposal for this part of Poznan.
Lower Lazarus - defining the problem
The group from Poznan University of Technology decided to develop a section of Lower Lazarus - around the railroad areas. Such post-industrial areas in cities have a dual nature: on the one hand, they open up a view of the city, and on the other hand, they are a border cutting the urban landscape and blocking the development of neighborhoods. Much has already been written about the role of post-railroad areas in Poznan - Free Tracks - and the spatial potential lying in the heart of the city has been identified and assessed in detail. The result of architectural and urban planning competitions, discussions and debates on the future of the area will be the enactment, prepared by the City Urban Planning Studio, of a local land use plan. According to the adopted concept, a district planned for the post-railroad area will be created, which will provide user-friendly and open spaces.
Workshop participants wanted to draw attention to an important issue: adoption of the document and its implementation are two separate matters. How many years can it take to realize a new district on a post-industrial area of more than one hundred and seventeen hectares? How to find fifteen thousand new residents, when for several years now, about one and a half thousand people have been leaving Poznań every year? Is it possible to carry out measures to tame the area before the district is built (with a 20-25 year wait)?
Pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting Wilda and Lazarus districts
© Izabela Kazimierska, Olimpia Stańczak, Karolina Szatko, Kamila Szyc, Katarzyna Tapałaj
Free Tracks
"Let's open the Free Tracks NOW!"-this was the slogan that guided the student groups during the three-day workshop. Their tutor Dr. Bartosz Kazmierczak introduced some guidelines that helped focus attention on relevant and developable solutions:
- form/character/object-creating the identity of the place by building the image of the newly emerging modern district of Poznań-CITY,
- meaning/sense/symbolism - connecting neighborhoods as a symbol of openness and friendship, connecting across divides,
- rationality/benefit/added value - reuse of development elements, involvement of the social factor during implementation, creation of the desired spatial effect with minimal resources.
project work
Photo: Dobrawa Bies © A&B
three groups, three solutions
Students proposed opening up the publicly inaccessible areas of the Railway Rolling Stock Repair Plant by creating a safe pedestrian and bicycle path connecting two Poznań neighborhoods.
The project titled. "Szaga" connects Wilda with Lazarus
© Izabela Kazimierska, Olimpia Stańczak, Karolina Szatko, Kamila Szyc, Katarzyna Tapałaj
The project titled. "Szaga" by Izabela Kazimierska, Olimpia Stanczak, Karolina Szatko, Kamila Szyc and Katarzyna Tapalaj is an attempt to answer the question about the accessibility of the currently closed spaces of Poznań - Wilda and Lazarus. Crossing the area of vacant tracks with a pedestrian and bicycle bridge provides a natural inter-district connection, and the introduction of illuminated lights tames the post-industrial space. The authors designed the footbridge with as few supports as possible, so that it can be moved to another location in the future.
"Green Ribbon" crossing over the railroad tracks.
© Karolina Klocek, Weronika Żmidzińska, Józefina Urbańska, Monika Mikołajczyk, Karol Tomczak
The project entitled. "Green Ribbon" by Karolina Klocek, Weronika Żmidzińska, Józefina Urbańska, Monika Mikołajczyk and Karol Tomczak refers to the environmentally friendly policy of Poznan. The form of the footbridge depicts interlaced fragments of arches forming a compact block. The authors, referring to the slogan "open city, friendly city," introduced greenery in the form of ivy entwining the ten arches that make up the footbridge structure. The passage over the railroad tracks was divided into two ribbons: pedestrian and bicycle. The entrance from the Lazarus side, as well as the Wilda side, was enriched by the introduction of squares with greenery, which further increase the biologically active area.
A footbridge made of corten connects three markets: Lazarski, Wildecki and Nowy Rynek
© Nina Lipowska, Aleksandra Kamyszek, Sara Paliwoda, Aleksandra Stoltz, Joanna Stefańczyk
The third project titled. "Lazarus" by Nina Lipowska, Aleksandra Kamyszek, Sara Paliwoda, Aleksandra Stoltz and Joanna Stefanczyk. The premise of the authors was to connect three markets: Lazarski, Wildecki and the Nowy Rynek business center. The main material used for the footbridge is weathering, which fits in well with the industrial landscape. Steel profiles were used to construct the walkway, and an installation made of scaffolding allows access to the footbridge from the Wilda side. Additional simple exhibition forms are intended to encourage residents to undertake artistic activities, which will result in cultural diversification of this part of Poznań.
presentation of work results
from left: Dr. Bartosz Kazmierczak, Jozefina Urbanska,
Aleksandra Kamyszek, Katarzyna Tapalaj, Dobrawa Bies
Photo: Anna Drelich © A&B
The results of this intensive three-day workshop were presented by the participants on February 6 during the Design and Architecture Forum. Congratulations!
We also invite you to read our coverage of the BUDMA 2020 International Construction and Architecture Fair.
compiled by: {tag:AuthorAiB}
based on materials by Dr. Bartosz Kazmierczak
Illustrations courtesy of workshop participants
