A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture wins TUP award | The Faculty of Architecture at the Gdańsk University of Technology

A graduate of our Faculty - Ms. Marta Hrycyna - has received the Main Branch Award of the Society of Polish Town Planners (TUP), 2024 edition, for her master’s thesis titled: “Residual Spaces as Catalysts of Urban Resilience. A New Waterfront for the Nowy Port District in Gdańsk.”

The thesis was completed under the supervision of Dr. Eng. Arch. Magdalena Rembeza and defended in 2023.

Congratulations on this well-deserved award!

From the Author:

The subject of my master’s thesis is the issue of spatial voids in the city, which I refer to as residual spaces. My goal was to highlight their potential in shaping contemporary urban structures - particularly in the context of creating a coherent system of public spaces and building urban resilience to current and future challenges.

Based on detailed analyses and field research, I identified numerous problems affecting the area. However, my main objective was to emphasize its considerable potential and future opportunities.

In my project, I proposed a concept of “stitching together” the urban fabric of the district through the recycling of its existing residual spaces. These spatial gaps were treated as catalysts for strengthening resilience - hydrological-biological, social, and cultural. All interventions within the urban fabric were carefully adapted to the local context. The juxtaposition of new and existing values introduces a new quality to the Nowy Port district.

While developing the district’s masterplan, I identified a range of tools for shaping urban resilience, presenting different development scenarios depending on groundwater levels. Ultimately, I formulated a new typology of buildings capable of adapting to changing conditions. My design proposals have the potential to transform a district long known for its many challenges into a well-functioning, resilient, and attractive part of Gdańsk.

Information about the competition and the awarded projects can be found on the website of the Society of Polish Town Planners (TUP) (in Polish).