When designing Park Krakowski, we took into account its universal function. For many residents it is primarily a way to work and back home. It is also a space where you can relax in solitude, indulging in your favorite book, play chess with your friend or spend lovely afternoon with your family. The playground located within the park was designed along with the latest safety standarts and natural materials, so that every mother can unwind while her kid is having fun.
Park Krakowski is a historic garden – it was the first public garden established outside of the then city center in 1885. It was created for economic reasons, the main goal of the garden was to bring the income of the owner – not the composition and arrangement of greenery were the most important, but the function, amount and type of entertainment that was to be delivered to the public here. Originally, the area of the park was something about 7 hectares and there was many functions such as theater, cafe, restaurant, dairy, swimming pool, a pond with boats, and arena for cyclists, menagerie, playground, slide and even pavilions with music. In those days, the park enjoyed great popularity of the residents, mainly due to the amount of attractions it provided. Over the years, the park changed its layout and surface area and in the years 1938-1939 it was transformed into a contemporary city park with a free composition. All buildings were removed from the park and the compositions of paths and greenery were designed in naturalistic and modernist spirit.
The Krakowski Park is an example of several stylistic-compositional transformations that can still be read in the field especially in the layout of trees and in park interiors. The communication system of the park has been preserved, which was used during revitalization, however greenery has been neglected for years and it was decided to introduce a modern solution in order to give the park its attractiveness.
The revitalization of the park consisted of comprehensive conservation of the historical garden along with adaptive treatments. The project assumed the revalorization of greenery and park furniture, as well as the modernization of the park’s infrastructure and lighting. The main design assumption was to clarify the composition of the park’s interiors and vistas. In reference to the former park function, the project has crossed the introduction to big playground with water and sand toys, swings, 9 and 7-meter high wooden towers, sandpits and playing hills. There i salso pentaque court, outdoor reading room, renovated pond with fountain chess and ping-pong tables.
It is worth noting that the greenery design of Park Krakowski is the only such assumption in Krakow. It was created in cooperation with the LUZ Landschaftsarchitekten München office. The garden is enriched with over a hectare of land of perennials. In the scale of the city, this is the largest assumption that includes perennial meadows as a “leading aspects”, the trend propagated by a German landscape architect and landscape gardener – Heiner Luz.
Perennials were planted in original mixes, specially desgined by Heiner Luz for the Krakowski Park . All the species and varieties were planted together in contrast to grouping them. Desiging plants in „The Leading Aspects” stream involves using two or more leading species and filling them with less impresive plants that play the role of fillers and ground covers. Application of the flowering aspects of two or three species, which dominate in spring, summer and autumn respectively, enables achieving the desired effect of natural-like vegetation.
The newly recreated Park Krakowski is a perfect hideaway for everyone who is tired of everyday hustle and bustle and wants to reconnect with nature in the center of Krakow.
Other designers involved in the design of landscape: Heiner Luz – LUZ Landschaftsarchitekten München
Project location: Park Krakowski, 30-033 Kraków
Design year: 2016
Year Built: 2018