A good space does not have to be decorated "from A to Z"-sometimes small gestures are enough to bring out the essence of a place and preserve its character. Such a space is the Memorial Park, created on the site of the pre-war cemetery in Groblice according to the design of the KA KOBIERSKA studio, with which Kamila Rogaczewska cooperated. How did they manage to reconcile the sacred with the profane?
The Memorial Park was built on the outskirts of Groblice - a small village in the Siechnice municipality, located a dozen or so kilometers east of Wroclaw. Its area of just over 4,800 square meters covers two, strongly differing areas. The southwestern part, located in the conservation zone, is a former cemetery where burials began around 1880. The last grave was dug there in the midst of the Second World War, in 1942. Since Groblice became part of the Polish borders, the old cemetery has gradually deteriorated until it was almost completely forgotten.
Memorial Park in Groblice
photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
On the other half of the site, which had been lying fallow for years, a youngster grew up. The designers faced the difficult task of combining these two worlds into a functional space, while preserving its unusual atmosphere and expressing respect for the burial site.
Memorial Park in Groblice
© KA KOBIERSKA
a park where the sacred meets the profane
It became natural to view the park through the prism of two zones: the post-cemetery sacrum zone, and the secular profane part. The former was to be a contemplative space, while the latter was to be used for recreation. In the way Memorial Park was developed, a two-pronged thinking about the designed space is evident. On the one hand, its duality is emphasized by a clear division into functional zones. On the other, the redeveloped area has been combined into a coherent premise with the help of several decisions made by the designers.
We like to design areas related to heritage, having a strong symbolic charge, where the spirit of the place can be brought out. In Groblice we faced the challenge of working in a special place - a former cemetery, where history is still present in the landscape. The wooden cross and fragments of tombstones became our starting point. We knew that the interventions had to be economical and respectful - ones that organize the space and emphasize its symbolism. That's why a loop was created, connecting the focused and reflective part of the former cemetery with the more open, recreational half of the plot. The layout of the paths, small architecture and greenery composition were to create a clear structure, while not losing the atmosphere of the place.
- explains Katarzyna Kobierska, founder of the KA KOBIERSKA studio.
Memorial Park in Groblice
photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
inviting to the cemetery
In addition to the communication layout in the form of a loop, which connected the historical zone of the sacred with the recreational space of the profane, Katarzyna Kobierska and Kamila Rogaczewska took care of the consistency of the Memorial Park also with the materials used:
This space lacked an acquiescence to stay - an invitation to enter and experience it as a whole. Before the reconstruction, only a few risked going into the depths, and there they felt a sudden change of atmosphere. We wanted this contrast not to disappear, but to be consciously emphasized. It's not just about the microclimate - temperature, humidity or soft ground, but about the transition from open space and multicolored buildings into a compact, color-consistent color palette and spatial narrative. Therefore, every element was subordinated to this color palette. Melaphyr paths complement the intense green, while architectural details, covered with a varnish of a deep purple shade, and small mirrors introduce an effect of light play, especially pronounced during winter sunsets. We wanted the user to feel a clear change - from chaotic surroundings to a space that gives a sense of calm.
- says Kamila Rogaczewska, co-author of the concept of "Memorial Park" in Groblice.
Memorial Park in Groblice
photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
sacrum and traces of passing
Despite the use of a coherent array of materials and paths that sewed together the disparate parts of the developed area, the designers applied slightly different treatments in each of them. In the sacred zone,they preserved and highlighted the remains of the former necropolis, while creating a symbolic narrative on the theme of passing.
Memorial Park in Groblice
Photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
The most important anthropogenic element preserved on the site of the pre-war cemetery in Groblice was an old wooden cross, located in the center of the establishment. The authors decided to use it as a dominant feature of the cemetery part of the "Memorial Park". They emphasized their gesture by placing the cross in a steel enclosure, which, they write, will allow the natural processes of decay and further decomposition to continue. In the future, when it completely disappears with the passage of time, the hollow metal frame will become a reflection of the transformation the space has undergone.
Memorial Park in Groblice
Photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
The remains of the tombstones were dealt with in a similar way. The architects, wanting to avoid creating a typical lapidarium, highlighted the relics using low metal fixtures with partially mirrored surfaces.
Memorial Park in Groblice
photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
space, light and freedom of choice
The recreational part has a decidedly different character - it is brighter and more spacious there. This is mainly due to the characteristics of the terrain, covered with less developed vegetation, where there are small meadows and clearings, as well as the way the area was developed. In the southeastern part there was a small, triangular square, at which a massive, long bench was designed.
Small architecture became an important element of this composition. Two, very elongated benches organize the space and create a clear, strong detail. They are designed to work on many levels: they allow integration of the group, give space for individual rest, and at the same time allow for spontaneous use - from play to informal meetings. We treat such solutions as a finely tuned detail in architecture - an element that unifies, gives rhythm and jewel-like character that emphasizes the whole composition.
- says Kamila Rogaczewska
Memorial Park in Groblice
Photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
The benches have a special form - the seats were created from wooden logs with quadrilateral cross sections. In order not to clearly define the way they are to be used, the backrest appeared only on half of the length of one of them. As the authors mention, the benches are used by adults as well as children or quadrupeds.
Memorial Park in Groblice
photo: Katarzyna Kobierska
space that carries history
As in any park, the most important thing in Groblice is greenery. The authors of the concept approached this subject in a special way - the Memorial Park was not built on a brownfield, but in a place that for many years had been in the embrace of unfettered nature.
Therefore, in the "Memorial Park" we almost did not create new greenery - rather, we worked with the existing one. The old stand of trees, clearings, poplar youngsters or spontaneous moisture-loving shrubs themselves built the narrative of the place. Our task was only to bring it out and emphasize it. As a result, we created a space that on the one hand gives a sense of peace and daily rest, and on the other - reminds us that it carries a history that cannot be ignored.
- concludes Katarzyna Kobierska.
