The most spectacular architectural and urban planning competition concerning the development
of the centre of Katowice has been won by a project the aim of which is to reconstruct the small marketplace so that it resembles the prewar one.
Project of the centre of Katowice from Młyńska Street to the roundabout.
In the smaller photograph: project of the town hall on the marketplace
- Life should be brought back to the city centre. We introduce new development, which, like a spine, will connect the roundabout with the marketplace. The city should be dense, which is why we develop this space. The marketplace should be filled with new content: this is a good place for a town hall or
an important cultural function, such as a musical theatre. We do not pull down old buildings, we do not want to repeat the mistakes of the previous generations. Continuation and harmonious development are important for the city - said Tomasz Konior, the architect, the winner of the main prize amounting to
PLN 50,000.
The young architect invited to cooperation talented students of architecture, who won the competition
"3 x Nowe Miasto" some time ago, because - as he said - he was interested in the fresh look
at the problems of the city centre.
The new development offered by the winning team creates a parallel belt to the currently existing western side of the Korfantego Avenue, forming a new passage for pedestrians between them. Ground floors
of buildings will house shops, cafés, galleries, which will contribute to vibrant city life. Separator, ¦lizgowiec or the BWA gallery will not be visible from the Korfantego Avenue - they will be concealed by new buildings.
The approach of the architectural studio may be called "neoclassical" because it consists in recreating
the shape of the old marketplace by using modern means. Even on the southern part, between Zenit and Dom Prasy, a large building has been crammed.
Some reservations are voiced in connection with development density, which narrows the Korfantego Avenue to the width of an ordinary street.
The work of Konior Studio has also stressed, albeit to a smaller extent, opportunities for enjoying
the beauty of the river - although it is dirty today, specialists promise that soon it is going to be clean. While drawing up the plan, the winner will have a chance to use the best ideas of other awarded works and will get from the jurors the detailed recommendations on what should be improved, e.g. stronger emphasis should be placed on the positive aspects of the river.
The second prize was awarded for a concept created jointly by Archistudio and the Bogacz design company. - We were looking for something which would make the city more recognizable. We wanted to stress the advantages of the city, i.e. the river and space.
The city has to be natural and green. No more concrete! - said Tomasz Studniarek, a co-designer
of the work which got the second prize.
It is one of the most interesting and courageous concepts. The entire free space between
the marketplace and the roundabout is filled with multifunctional structure, which may easily be used by pedestrians since its roof is covered by green ribbons of lawns. The project, on account of its low buildings, does not destroy the important vista. Another interesting idea is the proposal of an attractive boulevard with commercial development at the Rawa River. The boulevards would stretch from university areas to Sokolska Street.
The third awarded work is the project drawn up by the "Franta & Franta" studio. Here, the authors pay attention to the corner close to the roundabout - at the Wedding Hall - a huge black skyscraper,
the so-called tower of coal. The building looks like the apartment block offered to Warsaw by the famous deconstructivist Daniel Libeskind, but this one is in black. This is a quite naive and stereotypical landmark
of the centre of the capital of Silesia. A similar solution was offered in the concept of the Maćków studio from Wrocław, which was awarded a distinction, and which was the only awarded work from outside
of Silesia. The studio created a controversial vision, which was the only project aiming at complete demolition of buildings on the western side of the Korfantego Avenue. They were to be replaced with new buildings surrounded by greenery, creating a network of squares between the roundabout and Stawowa Street and ignoring the marketplace which would be left it in its current communications chaos.
Another highly evaluated work was the project of the Nova studio from Gliwice. Yet, this studio also broke one of the conditions of the competition, namely it suggested an underground tram route, to which the Municipal Office would not agree.
When the verdict was announced, a lively discussion broke up behind the scenes. Aleksander Franta,
the author of, for example, the Tysi±clecie and Gwiazdy housing estates, congratulated Tomasz Konior, but he added: - I completely disagree with this project. You want to develop space which is characteristic of Katowice. Now, we have a semblance of the Elysian fields here - argued Franta. Konior justified his concept: - I realize that my offer is like stirring up a hornets' nest but, at present, the Korfantego Avenue is dead. I used this space only while collecting materials for the competition. I would like to go for coffee or do the shopping here. In Paris, the Elysian fields are 60 m wide and we have 75 m! Does the city of Katowice need this gigantic empty space? - said Konior.
The majority of the awarded works insist on connecting Warszawska and Mickiewicza Streets by means of a tunnel running under the marketplace. - This is an unnecessary complication, the streets do not have to run underground. In New York there are fewer streets closed to pedestrian traffic than in Katowice - Andrzej Duda, an architect and a lecturer at the department of architecture, said unofficially.
Piotr Uszok, the mayor of Katowice, said that the site development plan drawn up on the basis
of the awarded works might be ready at the end of 2007. At the same time, the city would look for
a strategic investor. Building works could start in 2008 and finish after six years. According to
the calculations of urban planners, about 200,000 m2 of usable area of new development may be created in the central part of the city centre. These are the most attractive plots in the city. The expected investment costs may amount to the incredible sum of PLN 1 billion.
(source: Tomasz Malkowski, Gazeta Wyborcza, 17 October 2006)
