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Gray International

Philosophy of the Granary Island project

Introduction: Space and History

Neither a place nor a community are free from their past. Continuity is a part of history - a thread generating a matter of culture.

However, every community lives with the hope that tomorrow will be better than today and yesterday. These needs and hopes provoke dreams and aspirations. Reaching with mind over the horizon of what is "here and now" keeps us questioning whether the stamp that we impress today, will tomorrow be of any value

Janus - the God of two faces - one for the future, the other facing the past in the Ancient Rome pantheon of Gods guarded the Eternal City. Over the course of time, the significance of this symbol did not fade away, and the memory of both directions still has fundamental meaning in reflection about the city.

Direction: Continuum and change.

What makes this project outstanding is its location and scale. Gdańsk is a very important place for Poles, recognized worldwide.

Wyspa Spichrzów (the Granary Island) is situated in the hearth of Gdańsk. It comprises 30 hectares of precious land currently completely undeveloped.

At Gray International we tried to select a leading concept, on which further development works could be based, drawing on long-term expectations, current needs and circumstances, as well as historical and cultural context. We developed a mental shortcut and named it the need of continuum and change. Continuum - through protection of the cultural heritage identity of this place. Change, because we intend to transform the Island into a vibrant place, sensible to the needs of current and future generations.

Goal: change to restore balance

From the very beginning of our works on the general concept of Wyspa Spichrzów, we believed that the goal is not a creation of a completely new district but restoration and re-connecting an area of the city, so acutely absent nowadays.

The most significant task will be clearing the area of the ballast of wrong and harmful planning decisions such us building an expressway right through the island. By finding out a new potential of the area we can better formulate a plan of developing the necessary residential, commercial, service, recreational, administrative and public space functions there.

Providing the city with an easy way transport to the island, by preparing an efficient network of access ways, always focusing on the need to return the city area to pedestrians, is an equally important objective determining   the formation of close relationships with people, both local residents and visitors.

When visiting great cities, we intuitively feel that we communicate with a living organism, not a dead warehouse of cubic capacities and people forced into it. This is our goal on Wyspa Spichrzów - to make this area harmonious, friendly, diverse and living to the rhythm of happy people. Surely the goal is not easy to achieve but not impossible, providing that we change the very logics of creation -  shifting focus from square meters to an area belonging to a community of people.

The understanding of this philosophy and working up a new master plan on its basis gives us an opportunity to restore the area's significance on the regional and national scale. Vibrant with life and enchanting with its beauty Wyspa Spichrzów may infuse a new sense to the history of its former magnificence, showing that past can be not only nostalgic but inspiring as well.

In practice, the binding medium of the project is the concept of sustainable development, giving priority to the natural environment, social solidarity, improved standard of living, local development and involvement of citizens.

Methodology of work

To meet the challenge presented by the city's complexity, the exchange of ideas and dialogue must be the basic rule of the project. We have acknowledged this rule already at the stage of identifying future developers of Wyspa Spichrzów master concepts. Instead of a traditional contest with just one winner, we asked a couple of experienced and recognized European teams of town-planners and architects to present their authorial visions of this area development. Next step was the selection of solutions which we found the most valuable in each of the projects.

Therefore, the fist presentation consisted of five independent authorial concepts showing a huge diversity and identifying certain essential problems that must be solved.

On the basis of reactions to the form and contents of these presentations we came to the conclusion that a variety of approaches is beneficial to the quality of the project and we decided to maintain this diversity. We also did not forget that variety itself is not a value if it does not result in the creation of a comprehensive and homogenous vision. Taking all opinions into account we gave the a 'conductor's baton' to Stanisław Fiszer - reputable Paris-based architect who will be responsible for indicating a general direction of development to a whole orchestra including architects from London, Berlin, Warsaw and Gdańsk.

The first and obvious participants of the discussion we started were architects, town-planners, and historians of arts connected with Gdańsk - people with extensive knowledge and practical experience. We have found their professionalism, interest and indispensable sensitivity to the atmosphere of this place stemming from their long-term relationships with Gdańsk very valuable to our ideas concerning Wyspa Spichrzów. The critical opinions drawn up by such experts as  Danuta Kochanowska, Jacek Dominiczak, Jacek Friedrich and Piotr Lorens were very helpful to us. We are particularly grateful to them for helping us direct our efforts and achieve the goal that is the final master plan of Wyspa Spichrzów matching expectations of the authors and inhabitants' expectations.