New public space | GDYBY group | Targ Weglowy, Gdansk

“The idea of the new development and actions on the Targ Weglowy square came at a time when the parking function disappeared from the historic square, and nothing new has come on its place. Car-free space presented the oportunity to propose a new, organised public square, which the Main City in Gdansk lacks. City Culture Institute in collaboration with GDYBY group proposed temporary space in the form of urban grassland rooms, as one of the many possibilities of organizing this place and to inspire some subsequent actions.

Form of the design was a result of its temporary character and a relatively small budget, but also a need to neutrally interfere with historical surroundings. The main idea was to drag the citizens into kind of a game, in which they participated from the moment they entered the square. GDYBY group designed a light modular OSB furnishings in a form of cubic boxes. Users had the oportunity to create their own little spaces in which they felt comfortably. Kids were creating their ideal playgrounds and geometrical compositions, while adults used cubes as tables, seats and space divisions. The whole arrangement was completed with natural grass areas which created „rooms” and gathered people around them. This intervention helped manage the considerable size of the square making it a little bit more cosy.”

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