Student participiants:
Mathis Cividini, Khouloud Benzarti, Barbara Koch, Wojtek Zabłocki, Józef Wierzbowski, Aleksandra Bieszka, Stanisław Kilian, Hannah Emily Gerules, Rania Adhar, Laura Schwuchow, Selma Grein
Location: Dzieciniec pod Słońcem
„Dzieciniec” is a vast Jordan garden with an intimate building of the Municipal Youth Culture Centre. The green and spacious complex was built in 1929 between Dębińska Street and the Warta River and the River Baths built on the river at the same time. In recent years, after years of degradation and oblivion, both Dzieciniec and Baths have been extensively restored in a form very similar to the original nearly a century ago.
Now it’s time to introduce contemporary and functional variety to the geometrically laid out garden space, designed with young people in mind. To create such elements that are missing in the aesthetic, but still poorly animated space. Furniture that is useful, multifunctional, easily accessible, unique with an element of fun – and at the same time respectful of the historical context, as Dzieciniec is under the tutelage of historical preservationists.
AIM
Furniture located outside beach volleyball courts. Shadow, which is so lacking in the Garden, is provided to users by a beautiful old ash leaf maple.
The construction design created as part of the workshops should served 3 functions – a space for workshop activities for the clubs operating at the Youth Cultural Centre, among others, the activities of the literature club – creative writing, English club, or board game club. Morover, it should have serve as picnic space for garden visitors as well as a resting area for parents – whose children play on the „clearing of activity” also carried out during the workshops and for those watching/playing volleyball on nearby courts
NEEDS
The task was to create the nature of a bench/seat with tables set so as to allow watching children playing on the elements of the „clearing by the trees” as well as watching people play on volleyball courts. It was supposed to contain a backrest, armrest, table element (facilitating making notes and painting – important for group classes), groups of up to 12 people.
The idea should consisting of separated elements, enabling approaching them in a convenient manner, but also setting, for example: a pram or a stroller for a person with a disability (so that these people have a sense of participating in the classes with others) next to them. The idea of the design was to present mobile furniture providing the possibility of various arrangements
FINAL RESULTS
The project is arranged to guide the view and highlight the park’s activities such as the volleyball field, the fountain or the new playground while at the same time enabling its users to come together and focus on each others company. The curve the ensemble describes puts the tall tree at its center which provides a play of shade on the tables throughout the day. By using the curve furthermore the linearity of the park is broken which makes a change of pace and is an indication to slow down.
Tree hugger consists of three tables with benches. In its arrangement the tables offer room for very public activities but also make use of the quiet area tucked in the back of the site to have some more intimate gatherings. By, furthermore, varying the tables in length and width they are able to accommodate different user groups and functions. The largest table, at the center of the tree, easily sits 16 people and gives room to arts or writing classes, as well as large group gatherings. While the middle table makes space for 6 to 8 people and the smallest has room for 4. Its measurements are perfect to play board games on. The tables can either be used by one big group as an ensemble or easily divided into smaller spaces by several people. By making the gaps between the tables 2,40m standard tables sizes can easily be added into the the curve to make a banquet.
The tables are constructed using the classical picnic-bench construction method. Which makes for a very sturdy and safe construction, while also giving the user a familiar element. The legs are adaptable in width to enable the different table sizes. They are tilted at 30 degrees which makes them comfortable to lean against. For the construction 45 mm x 100 mm are used making 135mm wide table legs. The table tops and benches are made out of 21 mm x 120 mm wooden planking. The edges of the table tops and benches are painted in Scandinavian red to enhance the line of the curve and to seal the end grain wood.
The maximum height is 80cm which makes for a child safe construction. The edges of the tables extend 45cm over the tablefeet so that they are accessible by wheel chair.
Tutor: Carolin Föhre + Yasser Almaamoun
Architects from Germany
Carolin Föhre studied architecture at Brandenburg University of Technology and graduated in 2019. She currently works as an assistant at the Department of Building Construction and Design at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.
Yasser Almaamoun is an architect from Syria, lived in Berlin since 2013 and currently teaching design at the B-TU Cottbus. A member of the architects’ syndicate of Berlin and active in the Digitalization process of the AEC Industry. Currently the contact person of the Plattformnachwuchsarchitekten