Interview with Bartlomiej Sarna,
PKP spokesman
Ola Kloc: The station in Czestochowa is ranked among the highest class of railroad stations (P), which means that it should not only be an important transportation hub, but also a showpiece of the city. Why did PKP decide to build a new facility at all, instead of using the existing one? After all, modernization has been successful at many other stations, some of which even won awards in the Station of the Year competition co-organized by you.
Bartlomiej Sarna: The answer to this question is simple, because from the beginning we have been keen to find an optimal and functional solution for Czestochowa, combining public transportation, i.e. rail, and urban and long-distance bus transportation in one place. The new station is supposed to be a comfortable transfer center, which is why we first held public consultations, and then, under the auspices of SARP, organized an architectural competition, with a jury composed of industry specialists, architects, representatives of the city of Częstochowa, PKS and, of course, PKP SA. We were concerned with finding optimal solutions, and this is what you get in architectural competitions. Architectural studios from Poland and abroad took part in ours, and the competition jury chose one optimal one from the many works submitted. It is worth noting here that to date, only the reconstruction of one railroad station in Poland has been preceded by an architectural competition, and that was the station complex of Wrocław Główny railroad station, which after the completed reconstruction received several industry awards. Therefore, the selection of an architectural studio in the form of an architectural competition is a certain form of ennoblement for the city of Częstochowa and at the same time a guarantee of functional solutions. Thanks to the implementation of the winning competition concept, by the studios selected in the competition, Częstochowa will gain a completely new space. The reconstruction project envisages the demolition of the western and eastern parts of the station complex with the reconstruction of the connector. In place of the two pavilions, new buildings will be erected, better suited to serve travelers. The new station building on the eastern side will be dedicated to serving rail customers (the city has built a parking lot and a public transport interchange near it), then it will transition into a walkway over the platforms (mainly with a retail and service function), to eventually end with the western pavilion (serving rail travelers, buses, commercial premises), with stands designated for buses located next to it. This layout of the new station integrates all modes of public transportation in one place, combining rail with city and long-distance bus transportation. It's also convenient for residents and tourists using the train station complex. In addition to its interesting and modern architectural form, the new station complex will also be adapted to modern traveler service standards, comfortable, accessible to people with disabilities and environmentally friendly.
platforms
Photo: Travelarz | Wikimedia Commons © CC BY-SA 3.0 en
Ola: The station, as you often hear, is too big, oversized, designed for a city that no longer exists. From your perspective , what is the economic difference between demolishing and building a new station and adapting the one that is already there? What about the environmental costs?
Bartłomiej Sarna: The architectural competition clearly indicated the path we should follow in the context of investment in Częstochowa. None of the architectural studios that competed in it decided to leave the current building. This proves something. It is not only oversized, but above all non-functional. Besides, construction and architecture have definitely advanced since its construction. This is a sufficient argument for the change we are implementing. In addition, it is worth noting here that the cost of reconstruction of the station and implementation of new solutions in them would practically require its construction from scratch, so our decision is as thoughtful and reasonable as possible. I don't quite understand what environmental costs you are referring to, but the new station, as a building built from scratch, will have to meet current construction and energy-saving standards. In addition, we will implement a number of environmentally friendly solutions in it, including, among others, photovoltaic panels, heating support with heat pumps and a rainwater recovery system. The operation of installations and systems in the building will be managed by the BMS, whose task is to optimize the use of electricity, heat and water. Anyway, the reconstruction of the station also an investment in the comfort of travelers, especially those with limited mobility. Among the improvements that will be standard at the new station in Częstochowa are guided paths with attention boxes, Braille signage, elevators, contrasting interior colors, tactile maps of the station and many other solutions. The new station will also be equipped with modern security systems.
awarded project
© TOPROJEKT, AND STUDIO, Studio Antonini
Ola: If I understand correctly, the building is to be demolished, but nothing will be built in its place. So what justifies the decision to demolish? Did you even consider the possibility of leaving and using the existing station?
Bartłomiej Sarna: Of course it will be built. This argument raised by some activists is entirely false. The layout of the new station will consist of three functionally related elements forming a whole. In place of the current oversized building, a new western pavilion will be built, which will accommodate rail and bus travelers, as well as commercial premises. Stands for long-distance buses will also be located near it. Such a (three-element) layout of the new station, leads to bringing the means of mass public transport closer together, which facilitates transfers and shortens their time, which is comfortable for all users of the new station.
Ola: What do you think of the activists' proposal to use the edifice for a cultural facility?
Bartlomiej Sarna: The proposal came earlier this year, at a time when work on the design documentation was practically complete. At no earlier stage of investment preparation did such proposals appear, yet the new station project went through public consultations, an architectural competition, a post-competition discussion. Besides, the project for the reconstruction of the station was widely reported in the media from the very beginning of the investment process. Making changes to it at this stage is impossible and unreasonable, especially since, no cultural institution or local government is interested in conducting this kind of activity at the Częstochowa station.
