Residential development in Warsaw: how does it shape the face of the city and affect the lives of residents?

Finishing facades: quality and simplicity

I would call the modern architecture of Warsaw intelligent. I did not experience the pomp and flamboyance of decorations common in Kyiv - the prestige of buildings is demonstrated primarily by the quality of materials on the facade, unusual decoration details, etc.

Even if the facade is simple and uninteresting, but at the same time it does not peel, does not crumble, does not get dirty, then it has an elegant appearance, it is pleasant to look at. In Warsaw, I worked on a large residential development project, and as part of it, we collaborated with a company specializing in facade decoration. They use materials that are resistant to precipitation, frost, and heat, and the dirt from them is easily washed away by rain, so even after a long time, such buildings look neat. This is a common practice in urban architecture.

And the second point - intelligence is achieved not at the expense of some blind on the facade, but by an interesting shape of windows or fence on the balcony. No one tries to invent something extraordinary, so that it will be remembered forever at first glance - with such an approach, the style "take out the eye" is more often obtained.

The beauty of ordinary city buildings lies in how they harmoniously combine with each other and with the urban space

The popularity of open balconies and terraces

The second thing that struck me in Warsaw architecture is the popularity of terraces and open balconies in residential buildings. In our country, such layouts can be found in old, even pre-Soviet architecture, and currently this tradition has been lost, and I hardly see its manifestation in new projects. Since Soviet times, balconies began to be often used as an additional storeroom, which continues even now.

In Warsaw, it was nice to see numerous open terraces and balconies, where people grow flowers, barbecue, and spend time with their families. For a person who lives in a big city, this is an opportunity to create a small garden for yourself, in which you can mentally recover when there is no opportunity to go to the park. Glazing such open terraces is prohibited at the state level, and judging by the way they are arranged, few people suffer from this. But there are exceptions, when the terraces facing the street with heavy traffic are still covered with thin transparent glass that protects against noise and can be easily moved if necessary.

The unpopularity of fences

The lack of fences quite often catches the eye in various European countries, and in Warsaw I had the opportunity to understand it in detail in the context of a new residential development.

First, the public territory is not fenced here. In Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, unfortunately, this situation has become quite typical when, for example, you walk along the embankment and go around a number of huge fenced buildings, climb the stairs along a narrow path sandwiched between high fences. The whole environment seems to show: you are not welcome here.

I think there is a rather deep reason for this at the cultural and psychological level: it is about openness and a sense of security. In our society, this has been difficult since Soviet times, and it is clear why. When I installed a transparent net instead of a fence in my private house near Kyiv, I encountered misunderstandings among my neighbors. In Warsaw, the opposite would be the case. The appearance of the house and the surrounding area is your face in front of the neighbors, and at the same time the space of the residential development feels alive, it is large and complete, and not cut into pieces from fence to fence. It is interesting that this does not at all imply unnecessary "pani-fraternity", constant inquisitive looks, etc.

Personal space is mostly respected or at least learned, a certain ethical culture is formed

Smart apartments as a necessity

When I discussed small apartments with local architects, they smiled sadly. This trend began to gain momentum about 10 years ago and is connected with the active development of the country after joining the EU. The price of housing in Poland has increased significantly for the average citizen. And although small apartments are not the best solution from the point of view of a comfortable life, currently everyone understands the need for such affordable housing. The residential development project in Warsaw, in which I worked, was precisely related to the construction of 9-story buildings with smart apartments of 25 m². And this is not the smallest option - completely "Asian" ones with an area of ​​10 and even 5 m² are also being designed.

It is noteworthy that although such houses are budget-friendly, savings are achieved not at the expense of lower-quality decoration of the facades, but at the expense of, for example, the absence of windows in the entrances, which surprised me at first.

Finally, I would like to add that there are quite a lot of green areas around the residential area in Warsaw: tree plantations, parks, areas with wild grasses. Walking there is a very popular form of leisure among the townspeople. And here I came across unusual, but simple solutions aimed at taking care of nature in the midst of numerous urban buildings. For example, wooden houses for insects, which are an alternative to fallen trees, where insects have shelter in the wild. It also provides food for birds. In general, Warsaw's architectural and urban planning decisions made a very good impression on me, and we definitely have a lot to learn to improve the experience of Ukrainian cities.

 

 

See also:

Warsaw. A city built by the people

The main street of Warsaw is going to be landscaped - renderings

"Medical examination" instead of felling. In Poland, the "health" of trees is checked with the help of a tomograph