The Kliniczna junction in Gdańsk is a 1970s construction. To this day, it has not acquired the planned appearance. High school student Pascal Szumlański proposes a metamorphosis of the site to make it resident-friendly. The flyovers would be transformed into paths for pedestrians and cyclists, cars would drive lower, and the empty spaces between the flyovers would be occupied by buildings.
Pascal Szumlanski started to take an interest in architecture and urban planning a few years ago. His interest led him to attend an architectural workshop held by the Office of the City Architect in early 2024. The workshop was organised at Pascal’s school.
The teenager was tasked with redesigning the Clinical Junction, a road solution that has become obsolete after 50 years of use. It is a sprawling 10 hectare site that today only serves cars. Impressed by the architectural portfolio of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, Pascal Szumlański would like to completely change the face of the Junction.
According to Bjarke Ingels, whose projects and ideas stimulate my imagination, when we design a part of a city or a building, we should not only solve existing problems, but also create something that nobody even asked for. I think this is really important if we want to have a real impact on our surroundings, so this idea became the main focus of my project,’ explains Pascal Szumlański.
He gives as an example the Copenhill waste incinerator in Copenhagen, whose roof is also… a ski slope. Guided by the idea of adding new functions, he proposes the redevelopment of the Kliniczna Junction, which would be passable for cars but would gain many new features.
Building a new junction at ground level may be a good solution for cars, but it would still restrict pedestrian traffic and divide residents in the area. According to his concept, the vast majority of the flyover would be retained, reducing the carbon footprint and cost of the whole operation. The new-look Kliniczna junction would serve everyone. The flyovers would be designed for pedestrians and cyclists, and would connect bus stops and residential areas. Rounded passageways between the flyovers – connectors – would be created to improve movement. The structure is supported by upturned cone-shaped columns, which make the whole structure lighter.
This creates a hill with organic cut-outs that allow sunlight into the structure. The openings become green oases for residents to relax, and reservoirs are created. Buildings, also with organic shapes, ‘grow’ out of some of the cut-outs. Their height decreases as they approach the existing buildings, so as not to obstruct the views of the current residents, explains the concept designer.
Inside, there could be residential and office buildings, which are connected by a common podium. Roads and tram tracks run around the perimeter of the entire development and surround the ‘hill’, creating a kind of roundabout.
In order to avoid the construction of tunnels for car traffic and train tracks, he points to a solution that works well in Barcelona – the roads would be routed between embankments to reduce noise and separate car traffic from pedestrians.
In line with Bjarke’s idea, this project not only solves the problem of inefficient land use and water retention, but also gives the people of Gdansk many new meeting places and green spaces that are currently lacking in the area. My design allows pedestrians to cross the intersection easily and safely without using pedestrian crossings. This new residential, business and commercial centre would become a new landmark of the city,” concludes Pascal Szumlanski.
How did the concept for the redevelopment of the Kliniczna Junction come about? The process is described in nine points:
1. The current form of the Clinical Junction is not justified in terms of vehicular traffic. It is an inaccessible inefficiently developed part of the city that has potential.
2. The current junction clearly divides the residents of the neighbourhood and impedes pedestrian movement. Building a new junction at ground level may be a good solution for vehicle traffic, but would still restrict pedestrian movement.
3. The future junction should first and foremost serve people. The new design of the facility is determined by the most frequented traffic routes. From now on, the flyovers serve pedestrian traffic and connect the most important places – the bus stops and the residential area.
4. To improve the flow of pedestrian traffic, the paths seamlessly connect to each other. The flyovers form a hill with cut-outs in organic shapes that allow light to enter the structure. From now on, the entire structure is accessible to pedestrians without the need for crosswalks that would slow down vehicle traffic.
5. Roads are routed around the perimeter of the entire complex. They encircle the hill to form a kind of large roundabout that improves traffic flow.
6. The tram tracks are routed along the roads. The tram stops do not change their positions, except for the ‘Politechnika SKM’ stop, which is connected to the railway station. The new junction also becomes an interchange, connecting different parts of the city.
7. From now on, car, tram and rail traffic is separated from the pedestrian space. The area is shaped so that the roads are routed between embankments. In this way, noise can be reduced, the view can be cleared, crossings can be created over the carriageway and at the same time the construction of costly tunnels can be avoided.
8. Buildings, also with organic shapes, ‘grow’ out of some of the cut-outs. Their height decreases as they approach the existing buildings. The residential/office buildings are connected below the surface of the hill, creating facilities such as a shopping centre, cultural centre or car park.
9. Spaces in the openings in the hill become green oases for residents to relax. Many meeting places and green areas are created, which are currently lacking in the area. By shaping the entire site like a hill, the problem of retention is solved. Rainwater flows into retention basins and then into the nearby Strzyża.
source: Pascal Szumlański
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