The city has shown how the appearance of the central part of Warsaw’s Old Praga district will change. Streets, squares and green areas will be rebuilt according to the concept developed by the RS Architektura Krajobrazu studio, which won the competition. The architects have shown sensitivity to the historical context and have proposed solutions that involve tidying up the area and introducing new greenery.
We have the winning concept for the streets of Old Praga. It is a continuation of the changes I announced as part of the New Centre of Warsaw. We are beginning the redevelopment of Okrzei Street. Now it is time for a project for the streets and squares in the centre of the Old Praga quarter. We want Warsaw to green up and change on both sides of the Vistula,” says Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of the City of Warsaw.
The space included in the competition is located at the intersection of important transport routes for the city and the district. Okrzei Street will connect Old Praga with the new pedestrian-bicycle bridge and the city centre, while Floriańska Street will lead strollers to Weteranów 1863 r. square adjacent to Praski Park. The challenge was to create a place recognisable on a Warsaw scale, responding to the needs of residents and local businesses.
The designers of the winning concept skilfully highlighted the compositional axes and elevations of the historic buildings. The concept took into account both the rich history of the district and its contemporary development needs,” stresses Renata Kaznowska, Deputy Mayor of the City of Warsaw.
The proposed solutions are distinguished by a clear spatial arrangement, development with a diversified programme and exposure of the composition axes and elevations of historic buildings. The green spaces and leisure enclaves have been designed to serve the elderly, families with children and people with disabilities, and their flexibility will allow the organisation of both small meetings and larger urban events.
The jury particularly appreciated the idea of an art installation on the square in front of the former Praha cinema, which is intended to remind us of the disappearing tradition of Prague crafts. The proposed scale and location of the art installation has the potential to clearly emphasise the new square, enclosed with contemporary objects, as an important public space on a city scale,” the competition justification indicated. The fog-dispersing sculpture-water project is also intended to improve the microclimate in summer and encourage interaction between users, especially families with children using the surrounding cultural and educational institutions.
In the Floriańska area, the jury valued the preservation of the historic course of the street and the balance between parking spaces and lush greenery. Pro-ecological assumptions include a rainwater retention infrastructure based on proven, easy-to-maintain technologies, as well as materials from the demolition of the original pavements, which reduces operating costs and limits interference with the existing technical infrastructure.
The jury was chaired by Dr.-Ing. arch. Monika Wróbel architect, urban planner and urban researcher active in the area of public spaces, member of the Urban Planning and Architectural Commission of the City of Warsaw. As an expert, she supports the Office of Architecture and Spatial Planning of the City of Warsaw in projects concerning the development of public spaces in the capital city. She is also on the Advisory Board of the international association City Space Architecture, which brings together researchers and practitioners of public space. Dr Monika Domanowska, landscape architect and head of the greenery team at the City Roads Management Authority, was the referee.
The jury consisted of: Sylwester Klimiuk (deputy mayor of the Praga-Północ district), Łukasz Puchalski (director of the Public Roads Management Board), Jacek Grunt-Mejer (Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw for Revitalisation), Michał Lejk (Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw for the New Centre of Warsaw), Anna Paźmierska (Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw for the New Centre of Warsaw), and Monika Domanowska (landscape architect and head of the Greenery Team. The project was designed by architects Magdalena Jędraszko-Macukow (landscape architect, Head of the City Landscape Protection Department, BAiPP), Ewa Grzesiak (architect, Accessibility Department, Aid and Social Projects Office), as well as landscape architect Magdalena Wnęk and architects Artur Filip and Zygmunt Borawski, designer of the Central Square.
concept: RS Architektura Krajobrazu
source: Warsaw City Hall
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1863 Veterans Square now:
1863 Veterans Square after changes:
