Since most of the squares of the Jewish quarter of Crakow are occupied either by monuments or parked cars, the Polish studio BudCud along with the staff of the Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow decided to set the project in this square, on the backs of the Old Synagogue, a place only used by tour buses that bring tourists to the area. The project aims to provide an attractive use to the square, hosting a cultural and leisure program that can be used by tourists as well as by the neighbors of Kazimierz.
Description of the project by BudCud
The FKŻ Quarter is located on the back of the Old Synagogue, at Dajwor Street, where no one goes, but bus drivers park tourist buses along the street. The site – green lawn with a natural slope – is a secret garden, waiting to be brought to life. With a temporary program the location was made public and used by local community and tourists.
The FKŻ Quarter depicts architecture hidden in local circumstances with its vernacular roofscape, frames for social engagement and spontaneous behavior, linking the commercial and the gratuitous. BudCud introduced a petite urban situation, where different volumes surround the central platform, that can become a stage, dance floor, classroom or a cafe. Three staircases – benches, a ramp and a table tennis zone complement three houses, operating as a social library, Cheder cafe and Gelada graphic studio from Tel Aviv, where screen print workshops are held.
All the structure is made of wooden beams and thick plywood plates. The houses are finished with natural plywood and transparent corrugated plastic plates, balancing the bright colour of yellow floor. Transparent walls and roofs provide natural light inside, but also manifest the functions of singular volumes, which during night concerts become eye-catching urban lighthouses and expressive scenography.
The FKŻ Quarter renders a possibility of social engagement by providing an architectural frame in forgotten public square. The design becomes a tool of living better in the city, challenging the possibilities of using the space.
CREDITS AND DATA SHEET.-
Architects.- BudCud (Mateusz Adamczyk, Agata Woźniczka).
Location.- Cracow, Poland.
Area.- 150 m².
Client.- Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow.
