Art time competition coming soon
The subject of the competition is the development of the surroundings of Central Hajnówka. We received five projects. Their authors are students of the Faculty of Architecture of the Białystok University of Technology. Before the members of the competition jury evaluate them, we invite all interested parties, especially young people, to vote. The contest will end on November 11.
If you want to see the students’ works live, we have prepared their exhibition in the Water Park in Hajnówka. They are available during the opening hours of the facility, i.e. from 10:00 to 20:45. Here you can vote for the project that you like the most. Ballot papers and the ballot box will be on site. We also encourage you to complete the online survey. Below you will find photos of the projects and a link to the survey. The ART TIME competition is one of the activities of the “Hajnówka ReNewal – Green Transformation” project.
We are delighted with the creativity of the students. You can see that they really got into the task, they tried to reflect the atmosphere of Hajnówka and its natural values.
The ideas are really impressive. What did the students propose? The projects include wooden footbridges, tables and benches, an outdoor cinema, a small team sports field, a roller skating track, a climbing wall, seats imitating forest fruits, wooden deckchairs, and tree trunk-shaped bicycle racks. These are of course just some examples. Importantly, they result from the wishes of young people.
As we reported, the competition was preceded by consultations among young people and a presentation of the area. We asked them what they miss in Hajnówka so that they can spend their time in an attractive way. Many of them indicated that it should be a well-lit and safe place. Young people lack a track for roller skating with an even surface, benches, tables where you could sit with friends.
PROJECT 1
Entrance to the park
On the northern side, the entrance is an underground tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists. To facilitate car access, Dworcowa Street was set at right angles to Warszawska Street. In addition, pedestrian crossings have been designed, and the street runs curvilinear. The entrance, highlighted by a sculpture in an organic form, refers to the character of the park. It encourages you to enter, in the evenings there is a backlight, which can be treated as a landmark. On the southern side, an underground tunnel was also designed to connect the smaller park with the larger one. The entrance from the side of the station building was highlighted with a colorful mural on the wall in organic forms. Following this path, the observer can see an organic sculpture that has been envisaged as a showcase of the park.
Building
The buildings designed in the northern part of the larger park have the character of organic forms and are in one color range, so that each of them is characteristic, but together they form a single whole. There is a car park for customers and suppliers of goods nearby. There are bicycle parking spaces on the other side. The proposed functions of the buildings: tourist information (about the city, the station, sale of Hajnówka maps or souvenirs), pet shop (including food for ducks), bicycle rental, roller skates, pastry shop with a take-away cafe, book rental or guidebook sale.
Places to rest and have meals
There are various types of benches. One of them was designed along the pavement with a bicycle path, as well as in the lower part by the station building. In addition, a designated area with large, lunch tables for more people, along with a picnic area, allows for free consumption with a view – on one side of the main building and a square with benches in a characteristic organic form, on the other to the landscape of the park. In addition, in the smaller park we will also find places to rest with the possibility of consumption, or meetings in a larger or smaller group. To the south of the station building you will find a restaurant garden ideal for those waiting.
Active activities
In the park, in addition to the walking path, it is possible to travel along bicycle paths intended for bicycles, roller skates, scooters or boards. However, the largest part is the water garden – footbridges running deep into the forest among the backwaters. A pet zone has been designated in the smaller park. You can play with your pets there (on a leash or let them “free” in a specially fenced place). This place is also equipped with water and food containers as well as waste bags. In the entire area of the smaller park, pedestrian paths among trees have been designed, and most importantly – among valuable and beautiful monuments of nature.
Passive activities
Next to the water reservoir, in the wooded part, there is an open-air cinema. The stage has a folding wall for the need to show films on warmer days, and the stage itself can be used, for example, for various theatrical, dance or music performances, organizing fairs, presenting a Christmas nativity scene in winter. On one side, wooden benches with a semi-circular plan were designed. In addition, we will find here many places for passive rest, and it is even possible to admire the landscape from the observation deck.
Other facilities that the park has
In the area of the parks there are auxiliary information boards and maps with zones, thanks to which it is easier to find the perfect place for visitors. Four sculptures in organic forms were designed, reflecting the nature of the park, encouraging to enter and being landmarks. There are also parking lots for cars next to the station building, parking lots for bicycles and benches for waiting. The benches are equipped with garbage cans. In front of the building, next to the square with benches, there are two art walls for graffiti enthusiasts. Walking and cycling paths (in the larger park) in three places have been highlighted with wooden pavilions in the form of leaves, referring to the surrounding trees.
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Project 2
The work primarily focused on the proposals of young people and interesting educational and natural solutions referring to the surroundings of the Białowieża Forest.
The area was designed as a woonerf. It has a classic division between the pavement and the street, but the street is also accessible to pedestrians. Traffic was restricted and everything was paved with cobblestones. The area has a clear compositional axis running along, but the location of the paths gives a slight decomposition, which allows for the full use of the area. The alleys intertwine with each other, but they create a harmonious arrangement of all functions. Communication was designed on the basis of circles and in some places hexagons. The whole area consists of two parts. It was decided to separate their functions.
The area with a larger area accommodates educational, representative and leisure solutions, while the area facing Kolejowa Street is focused only on the leisure and recreation function. At the beginning of the developed area, an inscription with the name of the town appears in my project. It refers to a regional product, which is marcinek cake from Hajnówka. In addition, an oak leaf appears, also referring to the surroundings of the Białowieża Forest. The inscription has been placed in such a place that it attracts the attention of people moving along the street and pavement, thus being an invitation to visit the developed area. This segment has been designed in a representative way, with a fountain and information boards. Next to the square there are buildings that have been renovated and covered with wooden boards to harmonize with the rest of the surroundings.
Moving deeper, a roller yard was designed, which later turns into a roller path leading between the trees. The project includes health paths also located between the trees as well as relaxation terraces where young people will be able to sit and meet in the fresh air. There are also two small team sports fields surrounded by vegetation nearby. I widened the existing pond, thanks to which footbridges and a platform were created. In addition, hammocks have been attached over the pond, enabling comfortable rest in the bosom of nature. Next to the water reservoir, two rain gardens were created, perfectly matching the specificity of the city and its surroundings. In addition, a publicly accessible path of forest animals has been planned. It is located between the trees and anyone interested can approach, see the animals in their natural sizes and read information about individual species. Animal figures can optionally be enriched with a sound detector to deepen the visitors’ experience. The square was designed in such a way as to avoid cutting down trees and integrate the new design with the existing surroundings. Reference was also made to “Lipiec Białowieski” honey and honeycomb-shaped sectors were created. There are multi-level seating platforms decorated with flowers and a mini climbing park. These two things are also in the shape of a hexagon. It was decided to design a small outdoor stage instead of an amphitheatre. The existing amphitheater is located very close to the designed area, so there is no need to duplicate it, and the outdoor stage will be useful for organizing small gatherings. Next to it, there is a place for organized meetings, including classroom activities or thematic meetings. The benches and seats in this zone take the shape of a trunk.
The second part of the area includes car parks and paths. Parking is essential due to the proximity of the station. In addition, a dog park has been designed so that each resident can spend time with their pet in a nice way, while teaching them commands and tricks. In this area, alleys have been planned, and seats and deckchairs between the trees. The project has small details referring to the surroundings of the forest. Bike racks in the shape of tree trunks, seats imitating mushrooms or acorns or animal sculptures will add a unique atmosphere. The whole project has a wooden character, enriched with a hint of modernity.
The entire area will be equipped with monitoring cameras, lamps and garbage cans. To make the area even more user-friendly, it was decided to plant a lot of new shrubs and flowers. Car parks will be located in free places between the plants.
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Project 3
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Project 4
The concept of the “Locomotive of meetings” is mainly based on the transformation of the existing space located at the railway station in Hajnówka into a cultural and entertainment place for every age group of the city’s inhabitants. The main idea of the project was to harmonize the thematic surroundings. As a result, elements related to this theme can be seen in the space near the station. The shape of the wagon wheel is the leitmotiv of the project, which is noticeable throughout the development area. The station building takes the form of a locomotive, and the pavilions located throughout the area – the form of wagons. The central place of the concept has become a stage that serves as meetings. It is a place of cultural events and events, moreover, in winter it could change its destiny to a municipal ice rink. The wall on the stage, or rather its back, is a place for artistic purposes, e.g. murals, for local artists. The trees in this area deserve special attention. Wooden footbridges were designed, located at a height of 5 meters, allowing you to admire their beautiful crowns. The existing vehicular communication route is located in its original place, but the road surface has changed – to a more natural one in the form of a stone carpet. Parallel to the road, a pedestrian and bicycle route of the same material has been designed. The existence of watercourses in this area became an inspiration to create a rain garden, and more precisely, a lowering of the area was designed to allow free runoff of rainwater and to protect the area against possible flooding. Along the water line marked there, stone paths and footbridges have been provided for crossing to the other side. The most important elements located around the rain garden are pavilions – wagons. The roofed, openwork structures have a double function – the larger ones are a place for meetings and rest, while the smaller ones, with multimedia panels located inside, are an educational space. In the northern part of the site, at the entrance to the study area, there is a welcome logo in the form of an installation of wooden letters. Next to the existing service buildings, wooden platforms were designed, which could be used by the existing pubs, and around them flower meadows were planned to be sown with the possibility of walking. The welcome and entertainment space is connected by a path with the rain garden area. On the opposite side of the road, a space for younger residents has been planned in the form of a playground, sports fields, outdoor chess, wooden platforms that can be used as a meeting place, as well as hanging nets for rest. There are parking spaces next to these attractions.
It was decided to connect the area on the other side of the tracks with an underground passage, which will enable easier communication for travelers. Between the magnificent monuments of nature, a space was created for “Hajnowskie dance parties” and for an outdoor cinema. Wooden platforms with umbrellas and pergolas would certainly encourage residents to play together. There is also a place for animals in the form of a dog park – a meadow with a track and a paddock. Throughout the area, modern street lamps powered by energy produced on energy bikes, waste bins and monitoring are provided. The building of the PKP railway station would gain a new façade consistent with the entire conceptual assumption, and around it surface would change. Out of concern for people with disabilities, solutions were designed in accordance with universal design, i.e. ramps, handrails, touch paths. The number of parking spaces between the station building and the designed stage has been increased.
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Project 5
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