The subject of the project was a local center of culture on Brzeska street. Brzeska is a part of a decayed area of Warsaw – Praga Północ. The inhabitants of Brzeska belong to a small, hermetic society which doesn’t take part in, what we call, “everyday life of the city”, due to a specific history of the area of Praga Północ. The aim of the project was to create a place which could start integration processes, and could motivate inhabitants of Brzeska to develop their own skills and to find their passions.
the mill, a view from Brzeska street - main facade
Two workshops with young habitants of Brzeska street were organized. First one was about recycled furniture and took part outside on the street near the abandoned building of an old mill. This place became the final localization of the project. The second workshop was about children’s dreams about future of Brzeska street.
"Brzeska of my dreams" - a collage made by childrem from Brzeska
The answer to these factors was a cultural centre which gives local people a possibility to develop their interests and to participate in the cultural life of a modern, polish society. It adapts the area of an old, abandoned mill, remaining sensitive to all of the habits of local society. The area of the mill was a natural choice, because autochtones tend to meet there every day.
the site with the old mill
The new structure consists of five parts: a café, a sport area, a theatre and workshops area. The idea was to create mixed space, with a possibility of zoning. Because one of the most important characteristics of the people from Brzeska is their distrustfulness, the building has an open architecture, and gives a possibility to explore it slowly, it doesn’t impose one way of using it.
