Campus1 of Jan Kochanowski University, Campus of Kielce

CAMPUS 1 OF JAN KOCHANOWSKI UNIVERSITY, CAMPUS OF KIELCE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – CREATION OF ACADEMIC PUBLIC SPACE IN KIELCE. PART 1 JANUSZ PACHOWSKI Modern campus – problems and trends and trade supply base, but also public space. Com- mon elements are always the same: Rector’s Of [ ce, Campus location in compact center housing and Main Auditorium and multifunctional Forum. Here strict planning directives often make university library, surgery, clubs, banks or post of [ ce are often development impossible. They can constrain natu- located. Inseparable elements of campuses are also ral changes, worsen work and learning conditions indoor sport complexes and outdoor sport-recrea- and reduce competitiveness. Many historical univer- tional areas. However it is necessary to remember sities contend with these problems. If land reserve that city and university life should exist in full cor- for the development of didactic scienti [ c institution relation, to overlap and complete each other. It gives isn’t provided such institution becomes fragmented, the possibility of natural coexisting of two active decentralized and disorganized. City building den- units in the frames of different spaces. In this case sity doesn’t favor the development and building of positive social interactions and common develop- public space, thus dispersion of faculties hinders ment take place. their management and work coordination. The Finn- On the grounds of very differentiated univer- ish Technical University contended with such prob- sity programme and varied location conditions it lems. They decided to move its headquarters from is impossible to have repeatable spatial distribu- the center of Helsinki to the place called Otaniemi tion or universal model of campus. Each new sci- in Espoo (10 km from the city center). New loca- enti [ c didactic unit requires individual approach. tion was conditioned by the neighborhood of the Depending on the pro [ le of university, programme, companies dealing with modern technologies. The expected number of students as also location and university established close scienti [ c collaboration region needs, certain ideological scheme which with them. Very rich didactic administrative pro- should always have possibility of reorganization gramme was connected with living cultural recrea- or expansion is created. And for that reason land tional part creating friendly and creative conditions reserves near new-built campuses are so important. for students and teaching staff. The whole unit was Universities have to keep pace with dynamism of designed by the architect Alwaro Alto in the years changes and new needs which globalization carries. 1949–1966 (his project was chosen in the contest). Nowadays not only the fact whether an univer- Decision concerning the necessity of academic sity can ful [ ll market needs with its pro [ le but also campus building gives the possibility of anticipat- if it is able to correspond to the needs of a contem- ing many options of university development and porary student indicates university competiveness. liberalization of spatial distribution in a manner The majority of newly built campuses are elastic, which doesn’t constrict future possibilities. Prop- multifunctional, evolving units being receptive to erly located and planned campus is a very impor- technical and multimedia innovations. tant element of each university. It should be able to Creation of academic public space in the terri- meet many tasks and at the same time to ful [ ll the tory of campuses is very interesting and important needs of very active and demanding social group of problem. University campuses being city minia- students. Academic campus should contain not only tures have formed within their boundaries widely scienti [ c didactic and administrative, autonomy or available public areas. One could ask whether these hotel buildings, gastronomical, sanitary, cultural areas can be called public spaces? Sociologists and 1 Campus – lat. campus – [ eld, plain, nowadays academic University in Kielce. I will use Polish spelling – kampus in this housing development; Campus – Spelling form accepted by the paper for form’s sake. 83 planners have been making an attempt to de [ ne this conditions belongingness of a group to the place term for many years. On the grounds of its diver- through their activities. sity public space is very dif [ cult to be classi [ ed Social space has always been inside my range of and divided. When private property dominates new interests, and the type of this space which can be criterion which should be taken into consideration found in the university campuses is a special case trying to classify this question emerges. Widely for studies. According to my observations architects available public space is often de facto private especially emphasis social space arranging new property which is available on certain principles, university complexes. It is often the whole system not infrequently being temporarily constricted (i.e. of public squares with changeable functions and at night). arrangement which due to spatial and scenery con- Even though the de [ nition concluded Land Plan- nections form logical unity. People from „inside” ning and Development Act doesn’t classify public can perceive such system as a maze full of abstruse space in terms of property, nevertheless this cri- symbols and solutions though they are understanda- terion is very important. 2 The document de [ nes ble for students and teaching staff. public space as „ area of special signi [ cance for ful- The University of New South Wales – Australian [ lling inhabitant needs, improving their life quality public higher institution with headquarters in Syd- and favoring for relation establishment considering ney has very interesting solution of public space. its location and functional, space features, de [ ned It consists of eight campuses. The main campus in the study of determinants and directions of area UNSW is situated on 38-hectare slot in the bor- development of a borough”. Despite such de [ nition ough of Kensington on the east outskirts, only a few more common formulation is „half-public space” minutes away from the city center. Bar It is located which can be widely available private space as also in close neighborhood of main railway station and appropriated or „occupied” public space. other important road hub. Public spaces are com- In the sociological approach as also in legal posed in such way to form continued stretch. Along- or physical aspect the problem of public space is side it of [ cial places of general signi [ cance such as equally dif [ cult to be de [ ned mainly in view of footways or forum and smaller chamber spaces such subjective estimation of a recipient. And now we as squares in front of buildings or interdepartmen- approach the term of social space which isn’t cre- tal streets are situated . The Main Forum is created ated on the base of property or functions but on the through extension of important footway with differ- base of needs and aspirations of a certain group of entiated height level. Due to gradation the square is people using this space. Territoriality of such area very functional and interesting. Height difference is is determined on the base of certain metaphysi- advantage and the part of spatial composition, not cal aspect which is connected with individual and an obstacle to be conquered. This solution became social identity. As for me social space is com- an inspiration for my later projects where I tried mon space which can be used for free but at the to use natural land relief in the best possible way same time it is necessary to abide by certain rules. (Fig. 1, 2, 3). It is dif [ cult or sometimes even impossible to Many universities in Poland which headquarters delimitate its boundaries because it exists in frames were primarily located in the city centers struggled of ontological order. Community which in \ uences with dilemma which was connected with the neces- uprising of this space is a dominating group and at sity of development. Area possibilities for develop- the same time its constant recipient. Campus is an ment of existing buildings or university moving to ideal sample of such space. Students and workers new spatial unlimited locations were investigated. spending many years at the university organize the Depending on both location and [ nancial conditions space around them in such a way to correspond their we can observe different models and ideas which basic and higher needs. They want to feel well and have been realized in Poland in recent decades. securely in their environment. Large responsibility The campuses in Torun and Poznan are academic lies with architects because, knowingly or unknow- complexes constructed in Polish urban planning and ingly, they in \ uence creation of social space which postwar architecture which deserve special atten- 2 Spatial Planning and Development Act on March 27 th , 2003 (Law Gazette dated May 10 th , 2003), art. 2, p. 6. 84 tion. There were several attempts to join the parts which plays an important role in the arrangement. of campus of University in Torun creating one Setting-up of the Campus of the University in Torun compact didactic scienti [ c complex like in Ameri- was one of the [ rst comprehensive solutions in can Universities. Postwar reality was a reason why Poland with a complete programme which is neces- subsequent realization dates were postponed and the sary for university functioning. 4 possibility of campus location was changed. Finally Next academic campus worth attention is Cam- the area was chosen on the northwest outskirts of pus Morasco of the Adam Mickiewicz University in the city. The end of the [ rst stage where all nec- Poznan. It was also situated outside the boundaries essary buildings were within the scope of it was of the center, in the north part of the city. It was appointed for 1973 It was connected with celebra- decided that numerous scattered in the downtown tions of the 500th anniversary of Nicolaus Coper- buildings belonging to the university would con- nicus’ birthday.

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