Park at the Warsaw Uprising Mound

Winner of the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2024 in General Category

The project embraces the memory of the site through its materiality. Specifically, rubble from the Second World War that has shaped the mound is transformed into concrete to create the park’s new structures.

Existing Condition

The Uprising Mound, which was as dumping ground for the rubble of the city during the Second World War, is located in one of Warsaw’s most central districts and a rapidly growing residential area. In the 1990s, a memorial was erected on the top of the mound with symbols of the Polish resistance movement, turning the site into a venue for annual commemorations.

Design Approach

Efforts focused mainly on adapting the mound to the needs of all users. Due to the complex terrain, this required the creation of footbridges and artificial gullies. With the help of concrete specialists, technology was used to make concrete from the rubble, applying modern circular economy criteria. The slopes of the resulting gullies resemble the geological layers of an anthropogenic mound. The project also included recreational features, with the design of numerous resting and walking areas, including a children’s playground.

Landscape Design

In terms of vegetation, a planting plan was developed in collaboration with a specialist in phytosociology. This was based on an analysis of the natural processes initiated by pioneering and invasive species, followed by a model for new ecosystems. As part of the education and outreach work, an outdoor exhibition on the reconstruction of Warsaw -and the new type of landscape it created- was set up in collaboration with a historian and a nature educator.

Urban Impact

The project has strengthened the local population’s sense of belonging, who now have a better understanding of its history and can appreciate the use of the rubble that formed the mound. In parallel, the design offered the city with a new green space that is resilient to climate change by employing an array of landscape management strategies and improving the access to the park.