A fatality has been looming over the changes in Kraków's Wolnica Square for many years. We have witnessed the emergence of new projects and ideas that, instead of becoming reality in our space, began to dust on official shelves. Will it be different now?
The changes involving Kraków's Kazimierz district are defined by two concepts: „Climate Quarter” and the idea of a 15-minute city. We spoke with one of its creators, Lukasz Pancewicz, about the Climate Quarter solution. The interdepartmental project includes the reconstruction of a large part of Kazimierz. The project also included the area of Wolnica Square, and we can already observe the first stages of changes.
As of June 28 this year, a small part around the square will change. At the intersection at the intersection of Bocheńska, Bonifraterska, Mostowa and Wolnica Square, the part for cars between Mostowa and the square will be closed. In place of the asphalt island at the intersection, a small square with greenery in pots will appear. Bicycle racks will also appear in the square. These measures are to be a „prelude” to further changes. New benches will be placed at the former Kazimierz town hall, more greenery will appear, and an art installation with a play and rest function will be prepared there. All this in a space for which several ideas have already appeared.
Wolnica Square is a space whose metamorphosis has been debated for years
Photo: RaNo | Wikimedia Commons © CC BY 4.0.
plac wolnica anew
The idea of how to revitalize Wolnica Square has been discussed for several years. In 2009 a competition was announced to develop this space, which was won by the Lewicki Łatak Design Bureau. The concept at the time proposed, among other things, replacing the floor with a wooden one. The square was to be a space without architectural barriers, and could also be used by people with mobility impairments. The primary goal was to create a city-creating space where music and exhibition events could take place. However, it never came to realisation. You can read more about the 2009 project in Katarzyna Jagodzinska's article.
Another project was developed on behalf of the Public Transportation Authority by the Danish studio Gehl&Architects, whose concept we described on our portal. The concept assumes what will happen in the coming weeks on the side of Mostowa Street, as well as the creation of a new square and the introduction of a spatial installation that will allow the organization of events. However, it has encountered a problem with adaptation to the requirements of the conservationist.
The concept proposed by Gehl Architects
© ZTP press materials
The final visualization of Gehl's office is less important in the face of what we need. The most important question was what we need and what this Wolnica Square is. It is supposed to be a place to meet and hang out. This year, we want to create more public seating areas that provide an opportunity to stop, by the Ethnographic Museum or the fountain. We are correcting the traffic organization on the traffic circle at Mostowa Street. We hope to pin this down by spring. These will be solutions either from Gehl's concept or similar. Instead of an amphitheater, it could be an installation of benches designed by an artist associated with the Ethnographic Museum. There won't be an amphitheater, because there won't be a permit for it, but these benches will fill a need for space," Public Transport Authority director Lukasz Franek said in an interview with architekturaibiznes.pl in February this year.
Changes on Wolnica begin with infrastructure
© ZTP press materials
beginning of changes
The changes we are to witness in the coming weeks in the space at Mostowa Street are to be the beginning of changes related to the reconstruction of Kazimierz's most important square. It will be worth waiting to assess the final solution, but it is certainly gratifying that after a dozen years or so the potential of Wolnica Square can be used.
This is how the intersection at Wolnica Square will look like
© ZTP press materials
