Golędzinów Natural Park
The Golędzinów Park is an urban natural sanctuary, a segment of the ‘wild’ Vistula riverbank that represents Warsaw’s natural heritage.
In the foreseeable future, in this area beloved by Varsovians, both human and non-human residents, will be confronted with substantial urban developments in its immediate vicinity and increasing human-induced pressures. As representatives of the design community, we took our responsibility to speak out in the debates concerning the future of this safeguarded natural haven.
When we initially contemplated participating in the competition to establish a Natural Park in Golędzinów, the question ‘Why change anything?’ swiftly occupied our thoughts. As ex-residents of the Praga district, we invested time conversing with residents, family, friends, and local associations. This dialogue led us to a resounding conclusion: Golędzinów is already a place of profound beauty and uniqueness.
Kamila Lejman-Kudła, Agnieszka Kiljan, Marta Przygoda, Lucyna Rydel, Marta Tomasiak
Zygmunt Borawski
65 ha
City of Warsaw
2022
We came to the conclusion that this park is in many ways consubstantial to what has forged the modern Warsaw identity and makes us proud: it encompasses the vast and awe-inspiring natural expanse of the Vistula River, easily accessible from our doorsteps, as well as the city’s rich historical layers, evident in the remnants of communal gardens.
Golędzinów embodies the incongruity of a flourishing and untamed urban jungle coexisting with a protected ecosystem in the heart of a densely populated European capital. To us, this is the true essence of Golędzinów: a realm of utopia and liberty, a place for learning and experimentation, a space where one can connect with untamed nature. It is cherished by Varsovians and deserves preservation rather than redesign.
The design interventions focus on habitat protection – maintaining and upgrading the riverside path along the Vistula, including educational and observation stops
The project aims to create a nature, landscape, educational, and architectural strategy for the area, with time as the overarching parameter. The intervention is conceived as a long-term, phased transformation process, allowing the natural ecosystem to adapt to ongoing changes in the area while also being enhanced and developed through thoughtful landscape interventions.
Alongside the landscape ecosystem, the social ecosystem will also evolve – different zones will be adapted for safe use by various groups of residents and visitors.This comprehensive approach to the city and its natural environment as a multi-layered organism, combined with time-sensitive, multidimensional design, will enable a shift in dynamics while preserving and strengthening the area’s unique natural value.
The project envisions the introduction of a comprehensive visual identity and small-scale architecture for the entire area of Golędzinów Natural Park, along with a distinctive “flooring” system characteristic of the site. Our strategy is to reuse materials from demolitions, and where this is not possible, to use environmentally optimal, “industrial,” readily available, and cost-effective materials.
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