Europan E11 Polska Podskarbińska obrady polskiego jury 2011.09.30 – 2011.10.01 - ocena pracy AZ 123 TAKING WITHIN

AUTOR:

Mateusz Herbst, Architekt (PL)

The "Taking from Within" begins with an analysis of the planned site in a wider context. The author decides to continue the scale and character of the urban structure that exists in south-eastern direction from the site. He proposes a new residential district of a similar structure.The title of this work is a refrence to the identity of the post-industrial area, which in a symbolic sense is to be preserved. Leaving out some parts of the old infrastructure, such as chimneys or water tanks, aims to help achieve this goal. Old industrial buildings in the north part of the site are to be renovated and turned into the "Zone of Creative Initiatives". They will separate the residential area from the noise together with a small park running alongside the railway line.Residential areas from the 1950’s and 1960’s that were build not only in Grochów but also in Praga Północ and Muranów, proved to be attractive places to live, even though there were social problems and buildings of rather poor quality. This is so mainly because they are also an area  of green spaces, which is so hard to find in residential developments from past two decades.On the other hand, their infrastructure had to be completed together with services and commercial space, lacking in the original designs from the Communist era. The author is trying to combine both aspects by locating services and commercial points on the ground level with greenery on building roofs.He uses the social survey’s outcome to define local community needs and decides to place some local attractions, such as a cinema building,  on the site.The project also deals with the rain water, by creating reservation system together with a cascade in the park, close to a proposed "Zero Energy Pavilion".The strongest part of this work is the well prepared analysis, both in their urban and social aspects.  While the conclusions are not very surprising, the proposed solutions are solid and they fit in with existing city plans for the development of a transport network.The weakest part of the design is probably the idea of changing old velodrome into a market place. We all agreed, that it should be treated as an ironic commentary on the history of the National Stadium. The Euro 2012 arena is placed not very far from the project site. It is constructed  on the site of an old stadium, which for over a decade was the largest outdoor market in Europe.