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Moderna OdNova
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Moderna OdNova
Moderna OdNova – winner of competition Futuwawa for best vision for Warsaw.
Moderna OdNova is a strategy and architectural design of renewal of Behind the Iron Gate, a modernist housing estate located in the centre of Warsaw, Poland. In 2013, Moderna OdNova has been rewarded in Futuwawa, as the best vision and strategy for Warsaw of future.
Behind the Iron Gate housing estate occupies an area of 40ha, including 19 modernist apartment buildings,15 stories high, each housing 400 dwellings. The area borders to city centre of Warsaw and to the historical Saxon Garden and Saxon Axis. Before 1939, the area was the retail and cultural centre of Warsaw, with very dense urban tissue. During WWII the Jewish Ghetto was organised there and finally completely destroyed after the failure of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943. After WWII the large empty spot in the middle of the city was seen by the communist government as a chance to build new housing estates according to rules of CIAM. Behind the Iron Gate housing estate was constructed between 1965-73. The dream of grand living place ended soon: small apartments (24m2), lack of facilities, parking and high density caused decreasing popularity.
The problems of the area increased after 1989 – after the political and economical transformation in Poland. A lack of vision and planning together with new investments, cars, large scale commercial activity is causing decay of green and collective spaces, one of the main benefits of living there. The recent and most urgent problems of the area are: lack of parking, green spaces, facilities for youth, lack of sense of community, small apartments and tension between new investments and local community.
Demolition or renovation of the 70’s blocks is impossible - flats are privately owned. Instead demolishing or transforming blocks a strategy has been proposed for the public and collective space around blocks, generating a sustainable future for the entire area, in which the needs of local community, business and ecology are met. The strategy proposes a new urban typology: Mega Block, with defined and urban streets, with shops and cafes. There you find the place for new investments. This large version of a city block holds green and collective spaces with existing blocks, optimal living environment, behind the street facades, protected from the busy life on the main streets. The spacious framework of Mega Block can be worked out further by cooperation between stakeholders such as: commercial developer, housing cooperation, representatives of residents. In such process, the role of developers is shifting. Talking with residents can increase support for the developer’s plans, while residents get a chance to improve their living environment.
The strategy of Mega Block was worked out on a pilot plot. On the edge of collective space between existing blocks and the street a green office tower has been designed. The ground floor holds cafes, restaurant and shops that keep the street alive after 5PM. The glass façade is pivoted outwards, to provide protection of sun, creating place for plants and increased visual connection with the surrounding. A ground floor parking stretches the entire space behind the tower and between the blocks, shared between employees and residents. To compensate the space lost to cars, the parking is covered with a deck. The top of the deck holds space for ecology, provides outdoor facilities for residents, helping to build a sense of community. Here are located: urban farming, playgrounds, sport, sitting areas, picnic / BBQ zones. The form of the deck (dome with oculus) provides natural ventilation and illumination of parking and helps collecting rain water for farming (lowering of the ceiling). Instead of walls, the sides of parking are closed by different angles of slopes with vegetation, creating a more attractive and natural protection from strangers. The entrances of the parking are combined with staircases, being also sitting places and architectural accents in the space.
The deck is disattached from the blocks, to provide sunlight to the ground floor, where currently spaces for small retail are located. In the strategy of Mega Block, all commercial functions are moved to the streets. Instead, ground floors are converted into collective spaces such as common room with kitchen with spaces for initiatives, which serve as extensions of the small living spaces. A large part of the ground floor is dedicated for affordable renting spaces for working places or start-ups.
The presented design for one plot could start a chain reaction, over time. Transformation of Behind the Iron Gate housing estate could be done gradually, plot after plot, closing street facades and converting interiors of Mega Block.
The establishment of entire Mega Block respects the heritage and urban tissue of Warsaw, provides a comfortable living environment on one hand, but on other hand provides urbanity and space for economy. Mega Block as new urban typology is also one of the new directions in which cities of the future can be developed.
Moderna OdNova is a strategy and architectural design of renewal of Behind the Iron Gate, a modernist housing estate located in the centre of Warsaw, Poland. In 2013, Moderna OdNova has been rewarded in Futuwawa, as the best vision and strategy for Warsaw of future.
Behind the Iron Gate housing estate occupies an area of 40ha, including 19 modernist apartment buildings,15 stories high, each housing 400 dwellings. The area borders to city centre of Warsaw and to the historical Saxon Garden and Saxon Axis. Before 1939, the area was the retail and cultural centre of Warsaw, with very dense urban tissue. During WWII the Jewish Ghetto was organised there and finally completely destroyed after the failure of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943. After WWII the large empty spot in the middle of the city was seen by the communist government as a chance to build new housing estates according to rules of CIAM. Behind the Iron Gate housing estate was constructed between 1965-73. The dream of grand living place ended soon: small apartments (24m2), lack of facilities, parking and high density caused decreasing popularity.
The problems of the area increased after 1989 – after the political and economical transformation in Poland. A lack of vision and planning together with new investments, cars, large scale commercial activity is causing decay of green and collective spaces, one of the main benefits of living there. The recent and most urgent problems of the area are: lack of parking, green spaces, facilities for youth, lack of sense of community, small apartments and tension between new investments and local community.
Demolition or renovation of the 70’s blocks is impossible - flats are privately owned. Instead demolishing or transforming blocks a strategy has been proposed for the public and collective space around blocks, generating a sustainable future for the entire area, in which the needs of local community, business and ecology are met. The strategy proposes a new urban typology: Mega Block, with defined and urban streets, with shops and cafes. There you find the place for new investments. This large version of a city block holds green and collective spaces with existing blocks, optimal living environment, behind the street facades, protected from the busy life on the main streets. The spacious framework of Mega Block can be worked out further by cooperation between stakeholders such as: commercial developer, housing cooperation, representatives of residents. In such process, the role of developers is shifting. Talking with residents can increase support for the developer’s plans, while residents get a chance to improve their living environment.
The strategy of Mega Block was worked out on a pilot plot. On the edge of collective space between existing blocks and the street a green office tower has been designed. The ground floor holds cafes, restaurant and shops that keep the street alive after 5PM. The glass façade is pivoted outwards, to provide protection of sun, creating place for plants and increased visual connection with the surrounding. A ground floor parking stretches the entire space behind the tower and between the blocks, shared between employees and residents. To compensate the space lost to cars, the parking is covered with a deck. The top of the deck holds space for ecology, provides outdoor facilities for residents, helping to build a sense of community. Here are located: urban farming, playgrounds, sport, sitting areas, picnic / BBQ zones. The form of the deck (dome with oculus) provides natural ventilation and illumination of parking and helps collecting rain water for farming (lowering of the ceiling). Instead of walls, the sides of parking are closed by different angles of slopes with vegetation, creating a more attractive and natural protection from strangers. The entrances of the parking are combined with staircases, being also sitting places and architectural accents in the space.
The deck is disattached from the blocks, to provide sunlight to the ground floor, where currently spaces for small retail are located. In the strategy of Mega Block, all commercial functions are moved to the streets. Instead, ground floors are converted into collective spaces such as common room with kitchen with spaces for initiatives, which serve as extensions of the small living spaces. A large part of the ground floor is dedicated for affordable renting spaces for working places or start-ups.
The presented design for one plot could start a chain reaction, over time. Transformation of Behind the Iron Gate housing estate could be done gradually, plot after plot, closing street facades and converting interiors of Mega Block.
The establishment of entire Mega Block respects the heritage and urban tissue of Warsaw, provides a comfortable living environment on one hand, but on other hand provides urbanity and space for economy. Mega Block as new urban typology is also one of the new directions in which cities of the future can be developed.
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