Music Center / Centrum Muzyki

IDEA:
Cracow Music Center - Breaking the urban barriers
socio-economic urban transformation powering the economy of degraded part of a city.

URBAN DESIGN AND CITY CONTEXT
The city center of Cracow has been brutally divided into two parts by the railroad, which crosses the city south-north.
It makes the urban barrier and slow down the sustainable development of a neighboring quarters.
An accessible pedestrian traffic flow is a basic requirement to provide well communicated city. The commercial foot tracks determine urban life and have the basic impact to proper functionality.
Clearing the urban barriers alongside the railroad would connect the divided sides of town, and would create the new public space in the city.The idea is to create a multifunctional space (as a commercial foot passage) under railroad (replacing existing earthwork to a sound-insulated viaduct)
It would open the space of the city on pedestrian lever and connect the divided quarters.
“The released space” would be a challenge to create the new “city spots” and in the same time it would bring on the variety of commercial and cultural activities.
In the future, together with economy rise and densification it would let to enhance the quality of life of habitants and change “the face of forgotten city”.
That would be the key to sustainable development of a town.
There is also an idea to establish ‘public-private sector partnership’ which would realize their goals such as ‘a green junction’.
The ‘green junctions’ would be the priory parts of proposed commercial track connecting Old City center with new planned artistic quarter called Cracow Music Center, situated next to river Vistula. The main direction of proposed development is to make pedestrian communication space friendly and attractive.
Crossing the urban barriers via green, commercial footways and
improvement of public transport are the proposed solutions of that idea.
There is new planned Suburban Rail, (using the existing railroad),
Also, the connection of two sides of river Vistula will integrate life in town. Opposite quarters would correspond with each other and fulfill the complementary functions.
Finally in that idea the design a landscaped area should take into account a complementary densification and enhance the quality of life of people in existing urban spaces.
Those are, the main direction to idea of development of that part of Cracow.

The main idea of Music Center quarter is to generate cultural and economic profits.
The idea is to keep individuality of each functional zone and eliminate conflict of using it. The diversity of functions located in Music Center quarter would help people to integrate.The proposed center is designed to multifaceted use where the designed objects fulfill the complementary functions and are easy to adapt depending on the need - e.g. public square at the front of Philharmonic building could hold the function of temporary expo area, and another time the same square act as open air foyer for Philharmonic.The development of art business in new Music Center quarter has the significant importance as a promotion of whole city of Krakow.
Art, music, culture, production, art education, these are the main branches of art business which can be located as a main function in new planned center.
Academy of Music and Academy of Art could educate their students and in the same time the students could have a possibility for better practice. In the future they could find the relevant employment, there.


ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN OF CRACOW MUSIC CENTER
The redeveloped area used to be a military unit. Now, it’s physiognomy and it’s technical condition need to be recreated for contemporary use. The idea of new urban plan is to make a reasonable intervention on existing buildings, and to create the new communication and functional plan. The new frame remains the historic structure, the less important structure from economical point of view is absorbed by the new regulations.
Right in the middle of the site, there is peculiar element of historic fortification which is involved in creation of plan of Philharmonic building and remains as an artifact. The high voltage line and the central power point (transformer station) which makes a barriers will be moved underground.
There is also planned the underground parking and supply center which will be connected with west-east tunnel . That will improve the communication between the Podgórska and Aleja Pokoju street. The majority of trees on the south side of developed area remains as it is. Additionally, the local green is supplemented with new row of trees along west-east direction. The east side of the developed site is inclosed by rail earthwork. The idea is to make there the additional openings for better communication between the sites.
In the future the non developed space on the other side of rail could be used as a sport and recreation area for surrounding quarters.The new urban design is based on reccurent module and inspired by existing geometry and communication. The new urban design systematize existing scattered buildings, and allows for easy foot communication from the city to the river. The edge of river side embankment is leveled (3% downhill).
In effect this will be a mild slope coming down to river. The slope has it’s function as a ‘green music pavilions’. The music pavilions will play harmoniously with landscape, being almost absorbed by the tectonic of terrain. Their glass facades focused towards river will signal the city closeness. The dominant element of whole urban composition of Music Center quarter is a Philharmonic building, situated perpendicular to river embankment.
The simply designed shape of building is partly hidden in tectonic of a terrain. The building establish the main direction of a whole representative complex.
River side of a building is emphasized by classical shape amphitheatre, with a modern construction. The surface of green roof is meant to produce the renewable energy. The whole side is slightly coming down towards river and is ending with a pier. The planned pier will generate the river traffic and will be the alternative communication to the center.
‘City side’ of a building makes the frontage for a multifunctional square.The entire length of the building is enriched with commercial activities
and the continuation of that commercial track is a footbridge connecting two sides of the river. The inside space of a building is planned to be flexible in diverse situations, depending on need. The three chamber halls are mobile, possible to unfold.
It let to create the large-scale expo space. The building has it’s outside foyer covered, so it also let to get more space for alternative event.
The building is supplied with ecological solution to get a renewable energy and filtrate the air. That system allows to create a special microclimate inside.

ECO - FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS
The roof surface of Music Center is covered with system producing the energy based on phytoplankton. The system is based on the achievements of the BFS scientist of University of Alicante.
The general layer of a system is placed on the roof and include the water with a little amount of phytoplankton. The rule to make it works is to use wide sunny surface.
In the day time by solar radiation the phytoplankton is stimulated to dynamic multiplication. The system transports the production of phytoplankton to the underground mechanism which produces the biofuel. The biofuel is stored under the main square slab.

THE MUSIC CENTER DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The main source of financial development of Music Center is the widely understood music industry.
Beside the local music performance,( inside and open air concerts) the proposed space is to organize the widely recognizable events.
Secondary there will be a range of related disciplines such as record label, recording studios, high technology music production, education and other diverse activities.
Closeness to suburban rail station make possible to integrate the Music Center with the film production studio in Alwernia.

FOCUS THE CITY IN TO THE RIVER SIDE
The second step of the development is to integrate two opposite quarters on the other sides of river Vistula. The development of their association will result the mutual economical exchange.
Music Center quarter with it’s music business and the range of related activities would have the fulfill function to the opposite quarter- Zabłocie , which is been already intensively developed as an art, education and production quarter.
That exchange will result improvement of social relationship and will have a basic influence on quality of urban space in that area.
The integration of the city space is a general need to integrate the life of its habitants. Better communication


SUMMATION
The town as free market investor, get the profits on the promotion the talented people, at the same time realize the need of diverse social groups.
New center generates an attractive range of cultural and commercial activities. The communication is transparent and accessible from each direction of town, what improve and merge the social relationship, at the same time integrating the urban life.


Authors:
Gowin Bartłomiej
Siuta Krzysztof

Collaboration:
Chmielowiec Wojciech
Czech Karolina
Janus Tomasz



animation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OEHdlpjuQ4

GOWINSIUTA website:
http://www.gowinsiuta.com