Work submitted for the competition
"Best Diploma Architecture".
I was prompted to deal with Zychlin (Lodz Voivodeship) by family connections to the place. The image of the town from the family's stories was nowhere near what I saw when visiting Zychlin. The place seems frozen in time, living in the past.
collage
© Zuzanna Wozniak
While researching the situation of Żychlin, I learned, among other things, about a factory that had operated here since the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, it did not go through the political transformation successfully - it was closed down, and the spirit of the town collapsed with it. Today Zychlin is struggling with problems of labor emigration, aging population, high unemployment. I analyzed these processes in the theoretical part of the work, in which I addressed the issue of the collapse of small towns. In Poland, many small towns face similar problems. The purpose of my work became to create a profile of them, as well as to consider possible development scenarios and solutions to their problems.
axonometry of a city
© Zuzanna Wozniak
Parallel to the theoretical part, I conducted research on the city, both historical and existing fabric, as well as a public opinion survey (three hundred and forty residents participated). During the analyses, I created a full picture of a city that, despite its rich history, is struggling to get off the ground. My design thesis became that the revitalization of a small city based on its cultural heritage through its commemoration and based on the needs of the local community can yield tangible benefits in its development.
axonometry of the park
© Zuzanna Wozniak
My design activities were based on values other than the pursuit of maximum economic development. The goal was first and foremost to create an inclusive space that, in the long run, would make residents love their city back and want to stay in it.
cross sections of the park
© Zuzanna Wozniak
The project was divided into interventions at several scales. At the macro scale were revitalization guidelines covering the entire city. In addition to identifying areas in need of transformation and objects in need of special care, I marked out a path in the footsteps of history. This means a physically marked route in the urban space, commemorating individual objects and places that played an important role in the history of Żychlin.
cross sections of the square and pavilion
© Zuzanna Wozniak
I chose the meadows by the Sludwia River as the site for a meso-scale design intervention. The river flows through the city, separating it into parts with different origins - medieval and 19th century (industrial). Between the two is now a gap in the form of undeveloped floodplain meadows, which, despite their great potential, are completely neglected.
park site development plan
© Zuzanna Wozniak
The proposed form of the park makes it accessible to every resident, while at the same time creating a meeting place between man and nature. The nature aspect was extremely important to me in this project. The main assumption concerning the river was its renaturalization. The Sludwia River was regulated in the first half of the 20th century. The project involves restoring its meandering course. Along the watercourse I also envisioned an ecological corridor. At the junction of the corridor and the park there are viewing terraces from which visitors can observe nature without interfering with it. The alignment of the riverbed also provides for flood terraces, so as to protect the development from potential flooding.
bridge on Sludwia
© Zuzanna Woźniak
The development of the park also includes an extensive recreational program. An open-air cinema, a playground, a skate park, a sensory path, and picnic pavilions are attractions that, at a relatively low cost, would meet many of the needs residents expressed in the public opinion survey. Between these elements, the designed pedestrian routes were planted with rows of local species, for example, small-leaved lindens.
square with pavilion
© Zuzanna Wozniak
The most important development element and micro-scale intervention is the square at the intersection of the Sludwia River and Narutowicza Street. In addition to the development emphasizing the importance of this place in the urban space, I have also planned a catering pavilion with the function of a water station. The possibility of organizing canoe rafting refers to the city's heritage. A scouting water station existed here in the 1950s, and today it would certainly contribute to the influx of tourists, and therefore to the development of the city.
catering pavilion
© Zuzanna Wozniak
Zuzanna WOŹNIAK
Illustrations: © Author
