MBA Competition
The discussion topics at the MBA are multi-threaded to ensure that the scope of reflection is as broad as possible. The discussion will take on various forms. There will be workshops conducted on a "here and now" basis, demonstrating live the process of finding solutions. There will be panel discussions that, in ways more accessible to all audiences, will allow people to hear, understand, and also engage in dialogue. Exhibitions will provide an opportunity to see actions already undertaken, and all of this can be freely and informally - even warmly - commented on in the corridors, filled with all interested parties during the entire two-day event. Finally, and most importantly, there will be a classic architectural expression presented through participation in the main competition, whose theme is the surroundings of Wawel Hill.
The MBA 2025 competition aims to provoke THOUGHTS on the spatial and functional relationship between the castle and the city around it, with a strong inclusion of the Vistula boulevard. This unique area, squeezing between the Old Town and the river, may offer the chance to find answers to emerging challenges related to many issues: pedestrian communication, social integration, but also water engineering in the form of flood protection or rainwater retention. Simply put, it is about finding a good place within the city. Architects, urban planners, and designers have a vast field of opportunity here.
Subject
The competition is open and conceptual in nature. The goal of the project is to select the best design related to the idea of recomposing a key urban space, namely the surroundings of Wawel Hill.
The area at the foot of Wawel Hill has long been used as a car traffic and parking zone. With the removal of parking lots, it now has the opportunity for recomposition and integration into the public space system, including both the Vistula boulevards and the castle surroundings. An important impetus for change is the construction of a large underground rainwater retention reservoir. To allow for broader reflection potential, the project area also includes the square at the intersection of Grodzka and Podzamcze streets, which gathers many visual and pedestrian routes. Together with Bernardyńska and Podzamcze streets, this space forms the surroundings of Wawel and simultaneously connects the Old Town with the Vistula riverbank.
The project should seek the meaning of the place and likely reveal or develop it. Pedestrian movement will dominate, and this is not merely about communication and transit, but also about creating a meeting place - both with the city and with people. Importantly, this applies equally to residents and tourists. A crucial element of the competition work is to define the function of the square created after the removal of the bus parking lot, as well as the connected tourist information pavilion located at the foot of the Wawel Castle Hill.
View Points Plan - Gallery
Procedure
Rectification:
Competition entries (formatting details in § 11 Competition Terms) and all other required competition documents should be submitted electronically to the following address: konkurs.mba25@sarp.krakow.pl.