Work submitted for the competition
"Best Interior Design Diploma 2021/2023".
The main idea of the project was to create a leisure and entertainment space for pedestrians, as well as to introduce a significant amount of greenery in place of the currently existing crowded parking plazas. The development area is divided into three squares with different functions. Since rest for everyone is associated with something different, the project offers several positions to suit the diverse needs of users.
Square 1 is the space between the historic National Philharmonic building and the modern bank building
© Marta Drozd
The most common form of relaxation is calming down in stillness. Square 1 is a place for people who need a moment of solitude in the company of greenery and water, whose mirrored surface allows them to observe their surroundings in reflection.
Another type of relaxation is that combined with movement, eating or socializing—Square 2 is a place that offers all these functions thanks to a covered gastronomic area and an adjacent exhibition structure promoting the artwork of young artists, on which swings are additionally mounted.
Square 2 "Meeting with art"—gastronomic zone
© Marta Drozd
Square 3 is a proposal for tranquility in motion. The designed "levitating" labyrinth, in addition to its aesthetic function, also serves a contemplative and calming function.
axonometry and projection of the project
© Marta Drozd
The cars and scooters filling the squares today are replaced by strips of lush greenery, which acts as an air purifier. In addition to natural forms, elements of small architecture are also introduced into the space: canopies, exhibition structures and seating areas. The space of the designed squares has new functions, it also acquires a completely new look, only suggesting the historical features of selected streets, for example, Zgody, which used to pass through the square, all the way to Marszalkowska Street.
view of the gastronomic section
© Marta Drozd
Square 1 is the space between the historic National Philharmonic building and the modern bank building. The square's surface is divided into two parts by a passage running along its axis. Its construction is based on reinforced concrete slabs, which are also the building blocks of the wave-shaped pool located on both sides of the walkway. The water reservoir is 15 centimeters deep and is painted with black waterproof film so that the water surface is a mirror. Interwoven into the pool's undulating line are organic-shaped rain gardens filled with decorative gravel.
There is also a food and beverage area on the premises
© Marta Drozd
The east side of the plaza is led by a wooden planked path along the wall of the Philharmonic Hall, metal, intense red chairs are placed on it. Behind them grows an undulating line of shrubs dominated by purple lilacs, which, in bloom, contrast with the color of the seats. The west side of the square is an orderly mix of greenery and granite slabs, from which massive benches sprout in places.
The main attraction of the square is a storied metal exhibition structure
© Marta Drozd
With a smooth movement from Square 1, one can move to Square 2. The varied, patterned floor leads pedestrians towards the gastronomic zone—a space under a simple canopy. The main attraction here is a storied metal exhibition structure, built on a square plan. Its framework is clad in places with trellises that allow plants to grow vertically in the manner of vertical gardens. A staircase and elevator lead to the second floor. The next level is a continuation of the exhibition space, moreover, just above the tunnel that cuts through the entire structure, which refers to the former course of Consent Street, there is a glass footbridge that allows observation of the surroundings. At night, the tunnel's openwork vault is strip-lit by LED ribbons.
A colonnade of trunks and geometrically formed plant crowns create a "levitating labyrinth"
© Marta Drozd
Square 3 is located in front of the Eagle House building and is the smallest designed area. A colonnade of trunks and geometrically formed plant crowns create a "levitating labyrinth" designed on a square plan, enclosing the compositions and the passage from Square 2. It is a place with a touch of mystery, ideal for contemplation, and the suspended gardens suggest a walking route. All the designed spaces are connected to each other by humans and a focus on their diverse needs.
Marta DROZD
Illustrations: © Author
