Flood Park Golędzinów
The Flood Park along the Vistula river is a stepping stone in a long ecological corridor stretching across the entirety of Warsaw. The project involves a one-time intervention, leaving its further development in the hands of natural processes: succession and periodical flooding.
The floodscape park space is particularly valuable due to sporadic and short-term flooding. The plan includes keeping most of the currently growing trees and planting new ones. It also includes seeding areas, areas for mowing and meadow maintenance, and areas regulated solely by natural biological mechanisms, where mowing is not planned and where natural plant expansion is allowed. Spontaneous vegetation will complement the park's spatial design. In these areas, nature will be the designer. The design includes groupings of riparian trees into dynamic islands inspired by flowing Vistula’s water, with boundaries more clearly defined than currently. The designed shapes are inspired by the linear, river-like riparian trees found in other floodplain zones along the Vistula River. By clearly defining and shaping the new "islands," created from existing tree groups, they will be easier to spot and protect. New viewing axes have been introduced between them.
The fundamental connections with the urban fabric are the park's edge zones near the bridges, which are accessible by public transport, and the dike, which will be accessed from several passages. The dike is and will remain easily and directly accessible, offering attractive views, is well-ventilated, and benefits from the proximity of the wide river corridor and the space above the flooded area. A significant number of viewpoints have been designed on the embankment, while relatively few (only eight) accesses to the park, seeking a balance between enabling the experience of nature and its protection. Priority has been given to providing all walkers on the dike with the opportunity to observe, admire, and perceive, while rationing and limiting their opportunities for experience and exploration. Access to the park from the dike has been significantly restricted, aiming to reduce human impact and create a sense of special significance for users.
The park will be a space with significantly limited interference from the users. Apart from crossings across the river and observation platforms, the use of the forest islands and meadows is not planned. The descents from the dike to the floodscape park is limited to a few, separated by at least several hundred meters, so that the decision to descend is not a random one or the choice of a shorter route, but rather a conscious delving into the park area to take advantage of what the park has to offer passers-by, ultimately transforming them into relaxing strollers.
The floodscape park space is particularly valuable due to sporadic and short-term flooding. The plan includes keeping most of the currently growing trees and planting new ones. It also includes seeding areas, areas for mowing and meadow maintenance, and areas regulated solely by natural biological mechanisms, where mowing is not planned and where natural plant expansion is allowed. Spontaneous vegetation will complement the park's spatial design. In these areas, nature will be the designer. The design includes groupings of riparian trees into dynamic islands inspired by flowing Vistula’s water, with boundaries more clearly defined than currently. The designed shapes are inspired by the linear, river-like riparian trees found in other floodplain zones along the Vistula River. By clearly defining and shaping the new "islands," created from existing tree groups, they will be easier to spot and protect. New viewing axes have been introduced between them.
The fundamental connections with the urban fabric are the park's edge zones near the bridges, which are accessible by public transport, and the dike, which will be accessed from several passages. The dike is and will remain easily and directly accessible, offering attractive views, is well-ventilated, and benefits from the proximity of the wide river corridor and the space above the flooded area. A significant number of viewpoints have been designed on the embankment, while relatively few (only eight) accesses to the park, seeking a balance between enabling the experience of nature and its protection. Priority has been given to providing all walkers on the dike with the opportunity to observe, admire, and perceive, while rationing and limiting their opportunities for experience and exploration. Access to the park from the dike has been significantly restricted, aiming to reduce human impact and create a sense of special significance for users.
The park will be a space with significantly limited interference from the users. Apart from crossings across the river and observation platforms, the use of the forest islands and meadows is not planned. The descents from the dike to the floodscape park is limited to a few, separated by at least several hundred meters, so that the decision to descend is not a random one or the choice of a shorter route, but rather a conscious delving into the park area to take advantage of what the park has to offer passers-by, ultimately transforming them into relaxing strollers.
Client: SARP Warszawa
Collaborators: APACAD architecture office: Krzysztof Popiński, Magdalena Popińska
Type: competition (2nd prize)
Location: Warszawa, Poland
Year: 2022
Collaborators: APACAD architecture office: Krzysztof Popiński, Magdalena Popińska
Type: competition (2nd prize)
Location: Warszawa, Poland
Year: 2022