It's already certain. The Old Market Square in Lodz will be rebuilt. The first works will begin as early as February this year. What changes are in store for the space?
Reconstruction to begin
For many people outside the central Polish city, it may seem strange that Lodz has an old market. All of the city's life today is centered on Piotrkowska Street. The Old Market in Lodz, bordering the Old Town Park, will undergo a major reconstruction. Before construction work began, the area was surveyed by archaeologists, who found remnants of 19th century buildings. What will it look like after the changes?
The Old Market Square in Lodz is to find a place for an organic market
© Press materials of the City Council of Lodz
The entire pavement will be replaced, and with it the steps restricting movement for people with disabilities will be eliminated. Fountains will appear in the central part of the market at floor level.
Equally important in the project was the creation of covered places for commerce, along with a pavilion near the Old Town Park. The square will feature small architecture in the form of a dozen benches and wooden seats mounted on the edges of the quarters surrounding the trees. The Old Market is also to be an example of debetonation. Plantings of large ash and maple trees are to appear on its slab. The trees will be accompanied by greens filled with shrubs and flower beds.
The amount of greenery in the park space is to be a response to the phenomenon of concretization
© Press materials of the City Hall of Lodz
The magistrate also presents its idea for the functions of the space. It is to include a flower market, an ecological market, book kiosks and cafes. This is how officials want to revitalize the space in the degraded square.
The start of a long-awaited investment is ahead. We have signed a contract for the reconstruction of the Old Market to the tune of nearly eight million zlotys. The construction crew will appear here in the coming weeks. The Old Market will be transformed into a fashionable place where various attractions will be held. It will be here that weekend flower fairs, eco-fairs and book fairs will be organized. There will be no shortage of atmospheric cafes and family entertainment venues. I am very pleased that our investments not only improve infrastructure, but revitalize forgotten places. I 'm strongly rooting for this investment and I'm convinced that in 2023 this will be one of the most visited places by Lodz citizens and tourists," says Adam Pustelnik, first deputy mayor of Lodz.
Work on the park will begin in February this year
© Press materials of the City Hall of Lodz
changes in lodz
Łódź has been struggling for years with the problems of economic change. The industrial model of development, which was the main factor of expansion for the city, was not ready to be maintained. The adaptation processes in Lodz primarily show efforts to change the economic model, which can also be seen in architectural modernizations. We wrote about these efforts in an issue of Architecture & Business devoted to Lodz and its post-industrial regeneration.
