City Acupuncture
April 2015 – January 2016
Curators: Maciej Hawrylak, Daria Kieżun, Sylwia Sikora
Organiser: SARP Wrocław
More details at: www.wroclaw.sarp.org.pl/pl/akupunktura/
City Acupuncture is a long-term project devised as a means to search for, “puncture” and then recover and “heal” spaces with the necessary potential to stimulate the activeness of local communities. Outcomes of such efforts will be new relationships to be created in the city space, and by that means, developing “spaces for beauty”. The foregoing will particularly apply to the areas which are currently used in a manner precluding their utilisation as social spaces of local nature.
The City Acupuncture project focuses the attention of local communities on the public space as a natural venue for establishing contacts, exchanging opinions and undertaking activities in different age, cultural, professional and social groups, thus pursuing the idea of “a city for the inhabitants”.
The 2015-2016 edition of the project will follow the motto “The City Flows / Spaces for Beauty”, and it will comprise an analysis of the vicinities of Zawalna Street in Wrocław perceived as an area which exemplifies all problems faced by towns founded by the water. Flood embankments, a bridge connecting the northern city district with the centre, a public transport stop and building remains, altogether constitute a challenge for those about to plan the development of this place, situated at a contact point with a large housing estate of Różanka, where the former should support the city’s public functions as well as those of more local nature, addressing inhabitants of the neighbourhood. This “no man’s land” should acquire its own identity and become a multi-layered space of diverse purpose, and the project activities are exactly aimed to accomplish the above by pursuing the idea of “a city for the inhabitants”.
SUBJECT MATTER CONCEPT
The project is assumed to cover field research, workshops for students, public consultations, an urban planning and architectural competition and a scientific seminar. Their outcomes will provide grounds for the city development plans linked with the intended transformation of the “punctured” area.
FIELD RESEARCH
The first project stage will comprise surveys to be conducted by experts form the Faculty of Architecture of the Wrocław University of Technology and the Institute of Sociology of the University of Wrocław, namely a functional and a social analysis of areas situated in Zawalna Street. The former is assumed to examine spatial and behavioural conditions as well as the aspects of accessibility and activeness. The latter, in turn, will comprise research excursions for inhabitants and questionnaire surveys covering users of the area studied.
WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS
The workshops will function as the project’s testing activity to be performed by 4 groups of students representing the faculties of architecture, landscape architecture and sociology as well as the Academy of Fine Arts. They will be managed by experienced tutors – architects and designers. They will also receive support through reference to various studies in the fields of sociology, communications and transport analysis etc. The expected deliverables will be concepts assumed to provide starting points for public consultations.
PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
The consultations will constitute an attempt to investigate the inhabitants’ opinion on the actions planned as well as their impact on the awareness of the “recovery” of the space’s identity for local communities. They will be complemented by a programme aimed to stimulate activeness of inhabitants and to attract the attention of as many potential project participants as possible, addressing people of different age and social groups, and covering an art competition (organised in collaboration with local educational institutions), a picnic, musical attractions etc. A summary of these activities, drawn up in a report (including experts’ opinions), will be attached to the urban planning and architectural competition regulations document.
CONCEPTUAL COMPETITION
The competition for preparation of an urban planning and architectural concept is one of the most important activities connected with the urban space development, and it also contributes to the discourse on the role of a specific location in the structure of Wrocław. The competition is planned to be organised and completed in 2016.
SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR
Besides featuring the aforementioned activities, being a comprehensive scheme, the Acupuncture’s special edition will be expanded by a closing seminar with the participation of a foreign architect who is to deliver a lecture discussing completed projects of subject matter similar to the problems tackled under the Acupuncture project. It is planned to take place in October 2015, during the DoFA’15 Lower Silesian Architecture Festival.
Text by: SARP Wrocław
The project is delivered as a part of the architecture programme of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016, and it is co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under administration of the National Forum of Music. The project is implemented in collaboration with the Impart 2016 Festival Office, being the organiser of the European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016 celebration events.
Curators: Maciej Hawrylak, Daria Kieżun, Sylwia Sikora
Organiser: SARP Wrocław
Co-organisers: Impart 2016 Festival Office, National Forum of Music
Co-funded by: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Strategic partner: KGHM Polska Miedź
