Exploring Żoliborz Artystyczny

Last weekend I hopped on the tram for the approximately 30-minute ride to the district of Żoliborz where I met with Sergi, a local architect who I first met at a workshop I hosted at Politechnika Warsaw, where he was studying at the time.

We walked through and explored aspects of historic Żoliborz, where I had previously been but always lovely to walk through again. There is a wonderful built environment and interesting history.

Then we went to Żoliborz Artystyczny, where I had previously never been and which was designed by HRA Architecki.

About this complex, the Dom Development site notes:

“The overarching idea of ​​the project was to create an open urban space in which art becomes part of everyday life. To this end, publicly accessible passages, squares and streets are full of sculptures and artistic installations that intrigue. Art is also present in the architecture of buildings in the form of numerous murals dedicated to Żoliborz artists. Combined with elegant materials on the facade and in the interiors, we get an extremely aesthetic and unique place to live. Additionally, the diverse form of the terrain, elevations and lush vegetation create a pleasant green enclave.”

I was struck by what I call the walkable ‘porosity’ of the area.

A big trend in residential developments in this region are gated complexes, with all the amenities inside the complex. While these complexes obviously carry appeal for many people, the problem of privatization of amenities that really should be prioritized as public good comes into play.

Vibrant urban neighborhoods include public playgrounds, public seating, etc and having these amenities largely privatized and tucked into developments is not going to contribute to a neighborhood’s vitality.

Also another issue with some large residential gated complexes is that they create more barriers for walkability in the neighborhood. They prevent that ‘walkable porosity’ which is a benefit for local residents (including those living in gated complexes) and those visiting the neighborhood.

I was really impressed by Żoliborz Artystyczny. It was a Saturday afternoon as we walked around the area – which I later reflected over coffee was basically a 15-minute neighborhood (maybe 20-minute Sergii said).

The area had a light and continuous buzz of pedestrian traffic and the ground floor shops, restaurants, and cafes (a diverse and interesting mix of businesses) were clearly well-frequented.

The development is also a testament to the reality that you can have a very attractive residential development with appeal for many generations and types of residents and not seal it all off with gates.

We plan on moving to a smaller Polish city but if I were to be looking to invest in an apartment or another rental I would without a doubt prefer such a residential development.

I look forward to returning this Spring to further explore the environment and sit and enjoy a coffee again at one of the cafes.