THE MUSIC HILL

Bulwar Kurlandzki lies in the center of Cracow, and whilst expectantly would be another bustling urban district, the site is somewhere between a nature reserve and abandoned military sector. The site is paradoxically both rural yet highly connected on the urban scale. The area hosts a rich biosphere of life integrating a dwindling ecology into city which is growing rapidly. In a city where fauna is made almost impossible the unique habitat however is now under attack. A recently established law, (Nowelizacja Prawa o Ochronie Przyrody) makes it easier for developers to cut down trees regardless of wildlife. The site with its specific green micro-climate should be offered as much as possible to the citizens of Cracow suffering from the massive smog pollution. Indeed the lonely green forestation can be considered the lungs of Cracow, filtering and cleaning the already dirty air. Without forestation, it is unclear how much Cracow’s already poor air quality could degrade.

By introducing a major cultural hub, seemingly integrated to the surrounding forestation, we could lock the site as a forestry district of Cracow, as a way to fight of invading developers. Bulwar Kurlandzki could become an urban green island connected with culture activities, that could help both regenerate the site and the city of Cracow itself! To be able to do that we need to make sure the place is gonna remain its specific values in term of greenery.