Katarzyna Elwart
Czasopismo Techniczne, Architektura Zeszyt 5-A (5) 2015, 2015, s. 59 - 77
This paper discusses the industrial housing estates in Chrzanów, situated between two metropolitan areas, the cities of Katowice and Kraków. The location of the town, affected by the vicinity of those cities, is strategic in view of the development prospects of the two regions. Consequently, it seems to be important to examine the Chrzanów housing estates, with their heritage, and the possibilities of further use. The capabilities of the estates have not been used in full, and the local green areas are gradually losing their original composition. This paper concentrates on the public space of the housing estates located in Chrzanów, designed in the spirit of the Garden City concept, paying attention to the heritage of the pre-war estates, their distinct urban plans, and green area compositions, as well as the accompanying social programmes. The idea of building housing estates for workers was a response to deteriorating housing conditions and the overpopulation of towns. The housing complexes designed for factory workers were developed in Chrzanów under the influence of the Garden City concept on a small scale, in the form of compact housing estates based in specific residential, functional, and social programmes. The two housing estates described here originated in the interwar period. They are the “Stella” Estate of the Chrzanów Refractory Material Factory and the “Fablok” Estate of the Locomotive Factory. The represented factories no longer operate on the previous scale, and that is why it is necessary to assure comprehensive revitalization projects for those housing estates.