The competition whose objective was to inspire creative thinking and innovative design for urban spaces was organized into three thematic categories. Students of Lodz University of |Technology won the third prize in two of the categories: Park kieszonkowy (Pocket parks) and Podwórko miejskie (City courtyards). No winners were announced in the third category Zielone ściany przy przebiciach wewnętrzno-kwartałowych (Green walls at urban thoroughfares).
Franciszek Brzezinski and Natalia Dembinska are the authors of the design recognized in the pocket park category. The students designed a tiny pocket of green space at the intersection of Struga and Wólczanska streets. The designers proposed to transform a small and difficult to access urban space into a place of respite and relaxation for city dwellers. The jury appreciated the variety of vegetation that included an herb garden and an urban meadow, as well as the incorporation of ornamentation abstracted from the balustrade of a neighboring tenement building, which nicely blends into the context of the site.
In the urban courtyard category, the winners were: Milena Stefaniuk, Adrianna Ślebocka and Adam Szebesczyk. The students chose the courtyard at Piotrkowska 113 in Lodz, for which they designed a modern space accommodating the needs of passersby as well as the local population. The area provides different options for recreation and leisure in the city center. One of its most salient elements are green plants that have been carefully selected to ensure year-round growth. Small architecture performs a recreational function amidst nature, due to a variety of elements, such as green walls, a skatepark, a cafe and a chill-out area. The designed courtyard may cater for the needs of all.
The presentation of awards took place at a gala ceremony held at the Lapidarium of Detail in Łódź. The students received cash prizes and the opportunity to bring their designs into reality. The organizers of the competition emphasized that their intention was not only to promote young urban designers, but also to create public spaces of high aesthetic and functional standard for the city residents to enjoy.
