Eastopia: Poland

Studio Marc Angelil

Autumn 2015

Base city

with VIctor Lepik

The site for the project is the Za Żelazną Bramą housing estate close to the centre of Warsaw. The estate consists of 19 large buildings with either 300 or 420 apartments each. Originally all of the buildings were connected by a park between them.After the collapse of socialism, the green areas were often sold to investors, who developed them into office buildings. Most of the park became privatized and fences now divide it along property lines. It does no longer connect the buildings in it.

We suggest a set of interventions that would reconnect the buildings in the neighbourhood with a new common ground and prevent further developments in specific sites that would negatively impact the quality of life in the existing buildings.

The set of 200m by 40m single story buildings would house the social commons for the surrounding buildings and the neighbourhood. The proposed program provides options both for residents and the neighbourhood. We want the buildings to start a dialogue with the existing the urban fabric. In order to activate existing features of the surrounding area the programmatic options supplement the already existing uses. An added changing room and gym could for example vitalize an existing sports field.

Base A

Base B

Base C

Research: eastopia Polish sanatoria