Thefloral mosaic planted in front of the new train station in Oswiecim is a reinterpretation of Kazimierz Gąsiorowski's historic work, a glass and stone mosaic dating back to 1964-65. The original formerly adorned the lobby of the old train station, and has now been moved to the facade of the new PKP building after renovation.
living, ecological mosaic
The layout of the mosaic, consisting of 2,500 plants, refers to the composition of the original - there are horizontal stripes and shapes resembling waves or slender boats. The composition also has similar dimensions: the same length of 24 meters and a slightly larger width of 6.5 meters. The elongation of one of its sides is a deliberate measure, as it is related to maintaining perspective in the perception of the space. In order to facilitate the placement of plants in a manner consistent with the design, the entire surface of the green mosaic was divided into squares with a side of one meter, and then sixteen seedlings were placed in each of these squares. The composition consists of seedlings of Kamchatka sedum, white sedum, cranberries in varieties Creme Brulee and Palace Purple, and blue carnations.
This is what architect Pawel Kosmicki, of PKP S.A., the author of the project to rebuild the station, says about the plants:
At present, the plants are still young, but when they reach their full size, they will cover the entire flowerbed with a dense turf of leaves of varying colors, characteristic of the species and variety.
Changes with the seasons
The color of the floral mosaic will change with the seasons, this is related to the cycle in the life of plants. In spring, the leaves of cranberries will be dark burgundy and russet, carnations - blue, and sedums - light green and burgundy.
Marzena Switalska, author of the plant composition and landscape architect, says:
During the summer flowering period, cranberries will produce stalks about thirty centimeters high in leaf color and tiny flowers scattered conically around the top of the stem in creamy white and coral pink. Carnations will bloom in cyclamen pink, and sedums will produce inflorescences in the form of small umbels in sunflower yellow and orange. Flowering of individual plants will take several weeks depending on the species.
The new train station in Oswiecim
The appearance of the floral mosaic will undergo another transformation in autumn and winter. In addition to changes in the appearance of the mosaic with the seasons, its functional and symbolic dimension is also important. The living mosaic is intended to fill and enhance the space of the station square, but at the same time to be symbolic flowers paid in tribute to the victims of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Construction of the new station in Oswiecim, implemented under the Innovative System Station formula, is nearing completion. Acceptance activities are currently underway. The facility is scheduled to open in the first half of 2020. It is being implemented as part of the Station Investment Program for 2016 - 2023.
