A project to revitalize the area in front of the Wola Park shopping center in Warsaw has been given the green light for implementation! Architects from WXCA – pracownia architektoniczna are responsible for the concept. Restoration work is just beginning on the Ulrich Greenhouses, which are part of the restored complex of the historic Ulrich Gardens. They will reopen in the future as a space for rest, recreation, education and cultural encounters.
Wola Park is a Warsaw shopping center next to which there is a square - Ulrich Park, the former show garden of the Ulrich family. The biggest attraction of this place are rare species of trees, some of which have been growing since the 19th century. The park is a meeting and resting place for residents of the district.
The park is a meeting and resting place for Wola residents
© WXCA
Plans to restore and expand Ulrich Gardens have been underway since 2016. It is a long and arduous process due to the historic nature of the site, which includes the park, villa and 19th century greenhouses. All finds are documented all the time and submitted to the conservator.
conservation work
Thanks to a positive decision issued by the Provincial Office for Historic Preservation, the investor and owner of the Wola Park shopping center, Ingka Centres, is beginning conservation work on the former Ulrich Glasshouses. So far, they have been properly roofed and fenced to protect the historic structural elements and prevent adverse atmospheric influences, and now the time has come to implement the project by the WXCA studio. The architects created a concept for the development of the gardens, which includes the restoration of park areas and historic greenhouses.
We wanted to restore the compositional connectivity of the two protected areas - the historical and post-war parks. Originally, we were dealing with a homogeneous monument, and we alluded to this cohesion when designing the area of the Ulrich Gardens," explains Monika Lemanska of WXCA.
A mock-up of the Urlich Gardens
© WXCA
The historic park in the western part with the most valuable natural specimens of trees will be preserved in almost unchanged form, and its renewal will come down to the addition of low and medium greenery and the addition of modern small architecture. Meanwhile, the new part of the park on the eastern side will become an educational and recreational natural space.
former splendor in a new look
Construction work is scheduled tobegin in the first quarter of 2021. The revitalization concept calls for the restoration of, among other things, the Ulrich Greenhouses, where its historic elements will be preserved - brick chimneys, gable walls reflecting the layout of the greenhouse buildings, and a basement section with a historic cradle - covering the connector between the two greenhouses. The greenhouses will receive a new roof covering, reproducing the historic structural layout of the roofs.
The Urlich Park area will include restaurants
© WXCA
Ulrich Park will gain energy-efficient lighting, an upgraded sewer system and additional amenities such as benches, a garden gazebo. The Soplicowo Inn will reopen, with a shape reminiscent of the original design from years ago. Ulrich's Villa, once renovated and equipped with an outdoor garden, will become a unique spot on the gastronomic map of Warsaw. The Ulrich Gardens complex also includes the Everyday Garden, a meeting place created in the spirit of the zero-waste idea, already frequented by local residents of Wola and Bemowo.
green space for all
The developer promises that in spring 2022 the Ulrich Gardens will be formed by the revitalized Greenhouses and Ulrich Park, the Everyday Garden, Ulrich Villa and the Green Cottage. A full green space will be created, where innovation is intertwined with history.
The park will also be restored
© WXCA
The Ulrich family has a remarkable and inspiring history, full of commitment and passion, which is why we are committed to restoring the Gardens to their former glory and giving them a new lease on life, in line with the expectations of local residents. We will create a space where everyone, from the youngest to seniors, will find something for themselves. Above all, we are betting on greenery, ecology and green energy, which, as part of the IKEA group, we obtain thanks to wind farms," says Artur Drączkowski, project manager, Ingka Centres.
