NEWS

Should the two-lane road separating Castle Hill from the site of the old bus station on Tysiąclecia Avenue be replaced with an underground roadway? Or perhaps a footbridge connecting the two areas would be worthwhile? Students from Spain, Italy, and Romania presented their ideas for revitalizing parts of Lublin.

For five days, architecture students participated in the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) "Revitalization of the Former Bus Station Area in Lublin with an Emphasis on Sustainable Urban Development and New Functions."

"They unanimously agreed that the old station area should be revitalized as soon as possible, as it has great potential. However, the current impression is not positive. Looking from the castle, one sees a degraded and poorly designed area. This is a huge contrast to the beautiful view of the Old Town," says Małgorzata Kozak, M.Sc., M.Eng., Arch., from the Department of Contemporary Architecture at the Lublin University of Technology.

Students and researchers from the University of Malaga, the University of Granada, the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, and the "Gh. Asachi" Technical University of Iasi tried to find a solution for improving the quality of this space. They took into account sustainability, climate change, and the needs of the city and its residents. All this to design new functions consistent with the existing area.

The station building posed many challenges for them.

"They were very divided on whether it should be preserved," admits Małgorzata Kozak. "Everyone liked the roof, which stands out. Therefore, ultimately, suggestions arose to retain the station, which in some way identifies the space, but give it new functions."

This led to four designs. In all of them, the station area was connected to part of the Old Town.

"The students felt that the dual carriageway was a barrier. Since they wanted to connect Castle Hill with the old station, three groups designed bridges there. One group proposed concealing the road by creating a tunnel for cars." Some students also decided to uncover the Czechówka River, creating a very interesting landscape, we hear from the researchers. "These are very bold projects, but we expected them to be."

And what is the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme? It's a program that has been embraced by student communities across Europe.

"These are week-long stays at partner universities combined with a virtual component," admits Celina Handzel PhD, head of the Office of International Education at Lublin University of Technology. "During these stays, students work on unique topics and solutions. Their topics don't have to be related to their studies. Sometimes they relate to interests or passions. However, they always allow them to gain international experience, openness to the world, and the introduction to completely unconventional work methods."