STUDENT PARTICIPANTS:
Aleksandra Gospodarek, Maria Holc, Radosław Jodziewicz, Piotr Rondomański, Kacper Klaus, Imran Nurkovic, Huan Shen, Greta Pahlisch, Rose Jouhara, Karolina Toczewska, Csanád Páll
Tímea Gyányi
Location: Park A. Camusa
Albert Camus Park in Strzeszyn was officially opened in June 2023, on the eve of the anniversary of the Poznań June 1956. The park is located near Kazimierz Wierzyński Street, Jacek Kaczmarski Street, and Józef Czapski Roundabout, in the so-called “Literary Estate.” The naming of the park was the result of many years of efforts by local activist Adam Suwart, the son of a participant in the Poznań June. The commemoration of Albert Camus is an expression of gratitude for his support of the people of Poznań during the events of 1956 — Camus was one of the few Western intellectuals who publicly expressed solidarity with the protesting workers. The green area, however, has a longer history, having been developed in part thanks to the involvement of the local community.
The park is an important place for the residents of the relatively new part of the estate, located between Biskupińska Street and the older part of the so-called Literary Estate. The consultation meeting was attended mainly by residents of this very part. Participants declared that they visit this area daily — on their way to the bus stop, walking with family, or with a dog. Elements of the outdoor gym attract young people, while the playground is mainly used by immediate neighbours. For many of them, the biggest asset of this place is the “grove” located in its peripheral area.
DESIGN GUIDELINES:
The proposed elements are primarily intended to serve a picnic function, enabling neighbourhood gatherings. Participants of the consultations declared that they regularly organize such meetings, referring in their format to the old custom of “street name days” once celebrated in the Literary Estate. For them, the main things missing in this area are seating in less sunny spots and tables. There is no lawn in this part of the park, which means there are no suitable conditions for picnicking on blankets. These elements would also be used for organizing the communal table as part of the “Wieńczyny.”
Furniture:
– the nature of a bench/seat with tables set so as to allow watching children playing on the playground as well as watching people play on open gym,
– containing a backrest, armrest, table element, groups of up to 12 people,
– mobile furniture providing the possibility of various arrangements
FINAL RESULTS
ComforTABLE is a multifunctional object created in response to the needs of Strzeszyn’s residents, who were looking for a place in the park both to rest and to host the annual harvest festival.
Its form, inspired by the branching boughs of nearby trees, makes the object not only functional but also a sculptural accent in the public space. At its core lies a twelve-meter-long table, intersecting a network of benches and loungers, together forming a cohesive, harmonious composition.
The structure is made of wood. The table, along with the beams and planks running parallel to it, was stained in a burgundy color, while the perpendicular elements were only impregnated, highlighting their natural shade.
ComforTABLE offers a wide range of uses—you can sit down, comfortably lean against an armrest, enjoy a meal at the table, or relax on a lounger. An additional feature is a square platform at bench level, designed for public performances.
The object has integrated seamlessly into its surroundings—both aesthetically and functionally. This was confirmed during the harvest festival held on September 7, when residents eagerly used the new space, emphasizing that it fosters the integration of the local community.
Tutor: Gaizka Altuna Chaterina
Architects from Germany
CoLab is a collaborative design labortatory whose aim is to examine certain interfaces that exist between design strategies and design processes in contemporary industry in order to apply a model – based on collective work in design practice and architectural representation. CoLab Berlin is part of a larger network that also includes a team in Madrid where it was founded in 2009. CoLab Berlin is based in the department of architectural representation and design at TU Berlin.
Dr. Gaizka Altuna is a researcher and teaching staff at the Department of Architectural Design and Representation (CoLab) of the TU Berlin. He is interested in architectural design processes informed by knowledge generated through prototyping, digital technologies and collaborative processes.