Rethinking University Space: the SGH Redevelopment.
A forward-looking and interactive discussion between global practitioners and local stakeholders to explore the changing role of the Campus as an urban interface between education, the City and Society. Open to all professionals active in all fields of urban development.
WARSAW, POLAND, 30 September 2011, SGH Campus
NOWE SPOJRZENIE NA PRZESTRZEŃ UNIWERSYTECKĄ - ROZBUDOWA KAMPUSU SGH.
Konferencja odbędzie się w języku angielskim (tłumaczenie konsekutywne - część I konferencji).
Civic institutions, such as Universities and learning centres, are the foundations of the civil and democratic society. When designed appropriately, they contribute to social and economic exchanges and help to define a community’s identity by generating a sense of pride and ownership. They can be anchors for downtown areas, fostering frequent and meaningful contact between citizens, adding enhancement to the civic realm. The Collegium of Business Administration of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) and INTA organise an open International Roundtable to build a new understanding on the role of working places such as Universities in present-day urban development. The role of a civic institution should extend beyond the building itself and engage its public space. Civic institutions cannot regenerate an area alone. Partnering with the non-profit and private sectors, as well as other community anchors, can help these institutions better achieve their own goals. With this Roundtable INTA and the SGH wish to promote urban development processes that enhance sustainability and build human capital. Presentations from multiple regional and disciplinary backgrounds will reflect the shift in design and planning from an aesthetic- oriented approach towards a civic engagement model.
The SGH in its context
The Warsaw School of Economics is the oldest school of economics and management in Europe and is located on a threshold of Mokotow district, 2 km south from the very centre of Warsaw. Today, 15 000 students are assisted by 1300 staff personnel out of which 800 are academic teachers.
The campus is connected with the rest of the city (underground station, trams & bus stops, main road north-south). However, the connection works only in terms of transport and not in terms of high quality public space that would attract people and investment.
Last year, the SGH made the decision to close and demolish one of its more recent building and replace it by two new buildings. They shall be consistent with the historic campus so as to finalise the initial vision of Jan Koszczyc Witkiewicz, outstanding Polish architect and author of the SGH campus that combined modern, functionalist architecture with historical references. Rethinking the organisation and development of the campus would help not only to create more space for academic functions, increase the value of the campus, but also to change the way SGH campus is perceived by its students, the inhabitants and visitors. Redevelopment of SGH campus should provide an opportunity to create overlapping urban, public and social space and to integrate better the campus with the district and the city.
An international competition for an urban and architectural redevelopment of the SGH historic campus will be announced later in 2011. Designing a new campus is not to create new buildings, but to create a shared vision including a participatory planning process engaging all stakeholders. Planning and design contribute to a carefully conceived master plan, but also show how the campus typology can be strategically used to project qualities and renewed image to the outside world. In the past, the question was how to bring scholars together for the advancement of knowledge; today, in a knowledge-based economy, the question is to bring scholars together with economic partners and the community. New development strategies should allow for the creation of high standard campus showing integrated sustainability that serves several generations, engendering new types of research and education with the support of society at large. Rethinking workspace is challenging. Rethinking knowledge-based organisations is more challenging. Developing the knowledge potentials of an organisation requires a high degree of collaborative freedom, just as it is necessary to increase the information and communication density as well as maintain an opening to the outside world. Today, our world is strongly structured by networks that function independently of physical places. Planning and design must react to these new nodes and workplaces with specific spatial elements integrating new technologies. The development strategy has to take into account the different technical requirements and connect these highly technical working environments into communicating spaces encouraging interaction.