Nikiszowiec in need of a vision

Among the reasons for such a state of affairs, are the not-regulated property issues and lack of people interested in taking an active part in solving the problem. Piotr Uszok, the President of Katowice, in a conversation with Gazeta Wyborcza journalists has assured that he really cares about the change of image of the district, but he cannot do much, because the buildings in Nikiszowiec are owned by the Katowice Coal Holding company and two other housing companies. According to Uszok, the Marshall Office should take care of the district. On the other hand, the holding company representatives refer one to the Municipal Office.

“If Nikiszowiec is to be changed, the property issues have to be regulated first. Such a gem of architecture should not be under the control of a housing company, but of the city,” says Tomasz Stemplewski, the manager of the Promotion Department of the Silesian Marshall Office.

The uniqueness of the place is stressed by Robert Konieczny, a renowned and prize-winning architect from Silesia (e.g. the House of the Year 2006 award from WorldArchitectureNews.com portal). He thinks that the vision for Nikiszowiec should be brave: This is a task not only for architects. The estate is a complete and excellent form. We need here a brilliant idea in order to bring life to this district. A vision form outside is needed to indicate the right direction of development.
The architect adds, that such competitions are common in the West and they often bring unexpected results. The district is also valued by the inhabitants of Silesia. In a competition organized by Metropolis to find the sexiest place in the public space of the region, the place that you look at and visit with pleasure, Nikiszowiec was the winner.