Student participiants:
Levante Lesz, Timea Gyanyi, Petra Hanusova, Maciej Solarek, Damian Wnuk, Alicja Sutkowska, Karolina Kurtyka , Marina Alimpieva, Solongo Batsaikhan, Viktoria Palfy
Location: Open Air Museum
Cieszyn, a city with more than a thousand years of history, has been divided into two parts since 1920: Polish and Czech. The border river Olza is a kind of symbol of the contemporary fate of Cieszyn, as an element common to both parts of the city, it not only divides, but also connects. Open Air Cieszyn Museum project. Český Tĕšín aimed to create a new quality of tourism product based on the phenomenon of a divided city. The museum has been located in a special place – on the border of two countries – so far there has been no place where you could get acquainted with the history of the city’s division. Open Air Cieszyn Museum. Český Tĕšín, due to its open character and unique, cross-border location, has a tourist and educational value. Additionally a new, attractive space has been created for spending time together by residents of both parts of the city and tourists. The museum exhibition is thematically related to the heritage and symbolism of the borderline Olza River and recalls important events related to the history of the divided city. On the shore of the Olza River there are 5 city lights, each of them having 7 changing panels with information and QR codes which, after scanning, give access to the website with extended versions of information and photo galleries
TASK- to create nature observation spot
The park is one of the most valuable in Cieszyn. The beginnings of the current park complex should be associated with the reconstruction of the castle in the years 1830-1860. The park was designed by the court architect of the Viennese court, Józef Kornhausel. The only remainings of the former castle buildings are the Romanesque rotunda of St. Nicholas (one of the oldest temples in Poland) and the Piast Tower, which have been incorporated into the park greenery. In 1914, at the north-western end of the hill, artificial ruins have been erected in the place of the former brick tower, the so-called final defence tower, to emphasize the romantic character of the park complex. After finishing the archaeological and reconstruction works, the exposition of the former tower has been restored. Despite its partial reconstruction in 1960, the park retained its former character. A number of rare and valuable species grow here, including exotic ones. The following trees are noteworthy: chestnut trees, especially two powerful specimens considered a natural monument, as well as the two largest common ash trees, the American tulip tree, yellow chestnut trees and the two-flap ginkgo of the columnar variety.
GUIDELINES
- Due to the unique location and circumstances of nature, the characteristic high tree, the waterfront of Olza, Młynówka and the view of the castle hill slope and the Bluszcza Reserve, the designed facility is to provide space for rest and observation of nature.
- It should be taken into account that the object allows to observe nature and experience its sensory elements: the noise of water and trees, shade, beautiful views.
- The structure should be located within the hill and should fit in well with the terrain and respect the surrounding landscape and context
- the furniture design must be visually and compositionally compatible with the remaining furniture of the Open Air Museum. Cieszyn. Český Tĕšín
- The facility should respond to the 2 main needs of the residents: play the role of a couch, observation platform, as well as a seat from the Olza side, shaped appropriately for the elderly.
- The piece of furniture should be a multifunctional place of recreation adapted to the creative use by the residents
- Number of users: 10
FINAL RESULTS
Table for … too was built at the foot of the Castle Hill near the Open Air Museum – an award-winning public space by architect Robert Skitek. The tutors leading this group were Hungarian architects: Andres Cseh and Szilard Koninger from the CAN studio architects. The location selected for the project is an inconspicuous hill between Olza and Młynówka lying on the slope of the Castle Hill. With a beautiful view on the one side of the banks of the Olza River and the Czech border, and on the other side of the ivy reserve growing on the Castle Hill. The designers decided on a simple piece of furniture – not overwhelming the forms of the Open Air Museum – one straight line: a table, the archetype of a shared seat. The furniture invites and connects everyone on both sides of the border, which disappears through meetings, discussions, and time spent together. A table based on a small hill creates a variety of spaces that provide comfort for people of all ages and types of figure to spend time at the table, and give the possibility to organize various events. The table changes depending on its users, it becomes a playground for children, a bar for teens, a concert hall for street musicians, a meeting place for the local knitting club, the obvious place of first kiss – and sometimes just a bench for someone who wants to lie down in a forest surrounded by nature. A group of young designers working in this location was very keen to weave the history of the divided city into a contemporary structure – that’s why they decided to gather with the help of the inhabitants and use in their design the old, damaged legs of tables and chairs from both cities – to emphasize the diversity and complicated history of this place – that it would be a real meeting place with which residents from both sides of the border can identify.
Tutor: CAN
Architects from Hungary
András Cseh + Szilárd Köninger
An architectural studio operating in Gyor in Hungary. It is a young, dynamic team of architects who explore the various layers and possibilities of being an architect, from architectural design carried out at varied scales, autonomous implementation of designed construction and architectural education provided also for the youngest.
