Confrontations

This year’s edition of the Lower Silesian Festival of Architecture revolves around the motto “WROCŁAW – CITY IN GREEN.” The choice of this subject has been connected with the increasingly frequent need to discuss the notion of comfort of life in the city. The presence of NATURE and ART in public and private spaces around us is crucial for this aspect of our lives. So-called GREENERY can be perceived from various perspectives, according to its size, function, artistic or natural value. Its form may vary from a single tree growing in the concrete urban desert – like the natural monument Przewodnik oak – to multi-hectare field irrigation systems. People’s roles vary, too. An artist will create gardens and parks, but looking after the Natura 2000 protected areas requires very different skills. There are also huge differences between the functions of extensive rooftop gardens, small yards adjacent to houses or kilometres-long promenades next to rivers or weirs. Another element of urban greenery is allotment gardens, which arouse considerable interest of the inhabitants of the concrete cages of contemporary housing estates, who are yearning for a bed of roses of their own. However, all these extremities have a common denominator – the unromantic but very useful term “green areas.” Irrespective of the degree of urbanisation and the anthropogenicity of the individual parts of Wrocław, greeneries are undoubtedly worth developing as a living organism, one which requires us to be knowledgeable, sensitive and humble.

Such a multifaceted approach to GREENERY has prompted us to invite representatives of many milieus and professions to participate in the festival. It will be clearly visible during the seminar, which will be attended by naturalists, fauna and flora researchers, environmentalists, and on the other hand – designers specialising in planning new greens, or in redeveloping and revitalising the old ones. The discussants will also include representatives of the municipal authorities, whose decisions have always left their mark on the functioning and appearance of Wrocław. Today they are also charged with maintaining the proper sustainable development of the city, including conservation. The historical perspective of the seminar, YESTERDAY – TODAY – TOMORROW, will make it possible to identify short-lasting and ephemeral phenomena as well as the timeless ones, which are not affected by the changing artistic, social or natural trends. The seminar and the debate will provide an opportunity to evaluate the current state of the CITYSCAPE and the foreseeable directions of change.

Apart from the seminar, the DoFA ’17 organisers invite you to take part in the festival meetings and discussions, and especially in the tours of Wrocław’s gardens, parks and promenades basking in the autumn sun. After all, real, sensual contact with Nature cannot be substituted for any theoretical deliberations.