BOUNDRY AS A MEDIUM
TRADE MARKET AT POLISH-GERMAN BORDER IN GÖRLITZ / ZGORZELEC,
Artur Nitribitt, master thesis, 2012, England / Poland
University of Lincoln
Politechnika Wrocławska
Artur Nitribitt, master thesis, 2012, England / Poland
University of Lincoln
Politechnika Wrocławska
"Architecture must produce places where desire can recognize itself, where it can live."
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida
The world has several kinds of borders, depends on the origin. The border is intimately linked to the problem of crossing. People have always tried to build roads and bridges, which would exceed the rivers and mountains. While political borders, artificially set by humans became a place of trade.
Extraordinary examples of such integration are borders towns, which naturally are the most exposed to the influence of foreign cultures. There is also a number of cities, which as a result of the war been artificially divided between the two countries. An example is Zgorzelec (Goerlitz), which is located on the Polish-German border.
The first mention of the City of Goerlitz appears in the thirteenth century. The town originally developed on the west shore of the Neisse River. With time, in the seventeenth century, horseshoe also expanded to the other side of the river, which was still Germans one. Until 1945, grew rapidly on both sides that combined three bridges. Then, by the war and the establishment of a new border on the Neisse river, was artificially divided between the two countries. The population of the eastern shore has been displaced, and in its place brought the population from eastern Polish borderlands.
As in every border town trade has been developed. But only within time of reconcile the Polish-German relations and facilitate transit trade between the two countries, trade really developed. Open the borders in 2007 makes it even easier.
Currently in Zgorzelec and in Goerlitz, we can see a lot of trade places, where the inhabitants of border areas eager buy goods. Germans appreciate the Polish meat products and low prices of alcohol or tobacco. Poles on the other hand, go usually on the another site of the river to buy household items and perfumes, which are of better quality. Both sides are willing to purchase clothes from each other. Sometimes it is happening because of the difference in price, and sometimes the need to find something original.
Görlitz (Zgorzelec) needs place that connecting two cities in the ideological, abstract and physical aspect. Following analyzes market place would do the work most efficient. Currently the largest trade centers in both parts of the city are far from the river, which is not conducive to their integration. Designing a complex of buildings, located exactly at the river site, with the additional footbridge, would be great example of fusion of existing places of trade in the cities.
We can assume that the whole river is the border after all. Natural boundary, which itself create a problem of crossing and as well the political frontier, roughly outlined on the map and only then artificially apply to the real world by placing foreign troops on both sides.
If the whole river is the border, one should in the mental way get rid of it. Derrida says: "Architecture must produce places where desires can recognize itself, where it can live." It means that sometimes one needs to exaggerate some problems to see their boundaries, effects and properties, and then deal with them. Just as an artificially created border 50 years ago, one need to artificially – it means on paper- get rid of it, by ripping it out of context.
Looking at the urban space, we see three main nets for grid lines of building development. Two on German side, and one on the Polish one. By drawing the grid lines, from each case we get an interesting pattern of overlapping, contiguous space. When you deform it further based on the lines of the river-border you will get a diagram that explains what forces influences the site. Founded shape reminds us of undulating, overlapping and deformed ribbons running along the river. These bands have created an interesting form of public areas and the roof over parts of them. Selected sites are surrounded by walls, demarcating space and ensuring the proper conditions.
There is nothing outside the text.
There is nothing outside context.