STUDENT PARTICIPANTS :
Emma Peschke, Nils Humpert, Weronika Kowaczyk, Matteo-Moses Rauer, Michalina Olszewska, Kristóf Kurmai, Tenger Mendsaikhan, Helga Szabó, Natalia Marciniak, Martyna Majos, Klara Bójko, Jacek Sosiński, Omotara Adebayo
Location: Owidiusza/ Horacego square
The area at Ovidiusza and Horacego Streets has for years been the main recreational and green space for residents of the „Greek section” of the estate. Its history is strongly linked to the activity of the local community – it is thanks to the involvement of local people that the green character of the place has been preserved. Through neighbourhood efforts, trees and shrubs were planted here, creating a welcoming space for relaxation.
The Strzeszyn for Children Association has been campaigning for years for the creation of a safe zone for children and young people. Thanks to their efforts, a playground surrounded by greenery was created, which today is frequented by parents with their children. In subsequent years, with the support of the Strzeszyn Neighbourhood Council and residents, the area was enriched with a traffic town, a toboggan hill, a boules and chess area, outdoor gym elements, street workout and playing fields.
The concept for the „New Strzeszyn” was based on a land development plan by the Warsaw architect Piotr Wicha, who won the SARP competition in 1986. The plan was to create quarters of development with green areas, local markets, schools, nursery schools, a church and a clinic. Unfortunately, only a small part of this has been implemented. The current local plan provides for the location of a small market on the site of the former bus terminus.
The idea of a local market is a regular recurring theme in residents’ conversations. They would love to see a place where they can buy fresh produce seasonally, exchange books or items, or even organise bookcrossing. In the summer, blueberry, raspberry and tomato vendors appear here, offering their crops straight from their cars.
Responding to these needs, CIL Strzeszyn organised a Neighbourhood Market in July, with nearly 15 exhibitors and over 100 shoppers. Local entrepreneurs, artists, confectioners, as well as local residents selling books, toys or clothes presented their products. The fair became an opportunity to raise money for charity and to support the realisation of dreams, such as the purchase of a telescope.
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Exhibitors presented a number of comments regarding the designed facility:
– consisting of separated elements, enabling comfortable approach to them, but also transitioning between paths and playing fields,
– one larger object (e.g. consisting of 3 arched elements, forming a circle), enabling several exhibitors standing in the middle to sell products. This will enable several neighbors to cooperate, but will also provide the comfort of temporarily leaving the site and leaving it in the care of another person. This element could also be used when organizing birthday parties for children playing on the playground,
– smaller elements on a rectangular or square plan with posts enabling the hanging of a makeshift roof made of fabric or garlands, Christmas tree lights, with rods or squares for hanging clothes, arranging shoe boxes, fruit crates or books, or displaying pictures,
– the elements should be designed to enable aesthetic display of products, but also to allow for additional installation of smaller rods, strings (hooks, omegas permanently attached to wooden elements) at different heights, enabling aesthetic display of smaller items such as jewelry, pictures, etc. or material for creating e.g. a photo booth,
– in addition, a board element should be provided, a pole integrated with one element and enabling the hanging of posters about events and neighbourly information. Strzeszyn lacks information boards. It is also worth planning to include the regulations and the future name of the place (CIL Strzeszyn is planning a competition for the name of the place),
– all elements should have a calm, minimalistic and aesthetic character. This will provide a nice visual effect, but will also create an aesthetic setting for the products offered. The ability to take nice photos of the products on display is especially important for craftsmen and artists who later use them to advertise at the next handicraft fair.
FINAL RESULTS
Altana was created for the residents of Strzeszyn in response to their need for a space that would allow them to showcase and sell their products during local flea markets.
Beyond its commercial role, the structure also serves as an information point and a welcoming social hub, open to neighborhood events, community gatherings, and intergenerational initiatives. It is meant to function as a lively meeting point in everyday life as well as during special occasions.The form combines three familiar typologies: the information point, the park gazebo, and them market stall. The info point is expressed through the height of the structure, designed to stand out and remain visible from a distance. The hexagonal shape was inspired by traditional park gazebos, while the market stall had the strongest influence on the design, as it represents the object’s primary purpose. The cladding is painted in characteristic red and white stripes, referencing the roofs and canopies commonly seen in market stalls. This motif is further emphasized in the angled canopies. The finishing touch is a rooster figure placed on top of the structure, inspired by the traditional weather vanes that often adorn the rooftops of Polish houses.
The lower part of the structure is designed to be multifunctional. It can be used as display tables, ergonomically adapted to the dimensions of a standard fruit crate. Two height levels create opportunities for both adults and children to use the space – with adults selling from the inside, and children presenting their own products, such as lemonade or handmade crafts, at a lower level. The elements can also function as benches with backrests, a buffet table for a birthday party, or simply as a place to rest. The stairs are hollow underneath, providing storage space for vendors. The polygonal form allows between two and six sellers to operate from the inside simultaneously. Our ambition was to create a local landmark and meeting place that, in a playful way,
conveys the suggestive quality of form while serving the practical needs of the community.
Tutor: JEJU STUDIO- IWO BORKOWICZ
Architects from Poland
Young architecture practice based in Poland, directed by Iwo Borkowicz. Office ambition is to convey contemporary space understanding within forms found somewhere between classical beauty and mundane awkwardness. Architects are fascinated by peculiar forms made with simple lines, raw materials and honest detailing. Can a building tell a joke? A logic is they guide, intuition is the weapon of choice. They like collaborations. They care
