Cutting through Gdansk's Zaspa, the former runway, a relic of the former airport, had been waiting for years to be developed. When an investor was found who wanted to erect a modern housing development, a local association launched a protest and effectively delayed investment activities. Was it right?
Today the following street names refer to Zaspa's aviation past: Piloty, Startowa, Dywizjonu 303, Żwirki i Wigury. Remnants of the civilian airport - the first on the territory of modern Poland - can also be found in the landscape of the district. A former hangar on Rzeczypospolitej Avenue houses a shopping center, but the most distinctive is the former runway stretching near the SKM station.
Honeycomb and blocks of large plate
The airport operated from 1919-1974. During World War II, the airport served the German Air Force, later civilian planes flew from here - to Berlin, Budapest and Copenhagen, among others. With the closure of the airport, the field was given to urban planners and architects. This is because it was decided to build a housing development for 50,000 residents at the site. The project, selected in a nationwide competition, was prepared by Roman Horodyński, Rudolf Buchalik, Stefan Grochowski, Teresa Opic, Aniela Wilk, Edmund Sergot and Ryszard Musiał.
The estate, although filled with blocks of large slab buildings, has great advantages: there are considerable distances between buildings, plenty of greenery and recreational areas, and services at your fingertips. The layout of the buildings is unusual, as they are hexagonal, or honeycomb-like.
The district is also famous for its monumental painting. Large-panel blocks are decorated with a total of fifty-four murals. In 1980-1988, Lech Walesa lived in Zaspa with his family, and today the building at 17D Pilotów Street is decorated with a mural that is a photo of the Solidarity leader from his internment. The street art gallery is impressive.
Photo credit: Agnieszka Pisarska
