A new fountain will adorn Kraków’s Main Square. On 9 June 2026, the results of the architectural competition were announced, with the ‘Palimpsest of Water’ concept emerging as the winner. It was designed by Michał Gdak in collaboration with Ewelina Gdak. Their design will replace the existing “Crystal” fountain.
Competition for the Kraków fountain
The architectural competition was won by the entry by Michał Gdak in collaboration with Ewelina Gdak, who represent Gdak Studio from Kielce. Second prize went to the DDL Architekci studio, and third prize to Dominik Przygodzki. The jury assessed three final concepts selected from among 28 entries. In their statement, they highlighted the way the city’s history is interpreted through the narrative of hydrological map layers and the attempt to transform cartography into a spatial experience accessible to visitors to Kraków’s Main Square.
“Palimpsest of Water” – a new fountain in Kraków’s Main Square
The winning concept features a sculptural platform measuring 10 × 10 metres, with a central section of patinated bronze covering an area of 5 × 5 metres, set within a stone surround of granite. Here, the water does not form classic jets, but spills across an irregular, undulating surface, flowing in thin layers and micro-cascades into a shallow basin. Michał Gdak’s design draws on the idea of a palimpsest, that is, a text that has been written over and erased many times, with its earlier layers remaining partially visible. In this context, Kraków is a record of successive changes in the hydrology of the Vistula system and former watercourses. It was then translated into a bronze relief created by superimposing historical maps.
Form, materials and construction costs
The designers did not want to create yet another boring structure. In their concept, they opted for a horizontal composition resembling a fragment of the landscape. The spectacle here is to be the movement of water across a undulating surface and the sound produced by its flow. “Palimpsest of Water” will replace the current “Crystal” fountain, located between the Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Church. This is one of the most protected urban spaces in Poland. The cost of the project is estimated at PLN 4.5 million gross, and the fee for design documentation and project supervision is not to exceed PLN 500,000 gross. Completion of construction works is scheduled for the end of 2027.
From “Zin’s Sofa” to “Palimpsest of Water”
The history of the water feature in front of St Mary’s Church dates back to the 1960s. It was then that Prof. Wiktor Zin’s modernist fountain, colloquially known as ‘Zin’s sofa’, was erected here. It was a low composition of granite basins, which remained in the Market Square until 2005, when it was dismantled due to the redevelopment and works on the underground museum route. After renovation, it was moved to the Anna and Erazm Jerzmanowski Park. In 2010, it was replaced by ‘Kryształ’ (Crystal), a glass-and-steel structure illuminated by an LED system, designed following a competition in 2008. The installation also allowed for a visual connection with the exhibition in the Market Square’s underground. Over time, however, problems with maintenance and performance arose, so in 2023 the structure was taken out of service and plans were made for a successor to “Kryształ”. “Palimpsest of Water” will be the next chapter in the 60-year history of this part of Kraków.
design: michalgdak.com
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