Post-industrial Objects and Buildings in the Structure of the Contemporary City

Abstract

In the second half of the 19th century, provincial Bialystok became the largest industrial city in the eastern territories of the former Republic of Poland. The cause of this economic growth was the development of the railway network and changing customs policy in the Russian Empire. Over a dozen or so years, several dozens of textile factories and numerous craft workshops were established in the city. The industrial prosperity of the city development was interrupted by the First and Second World War. The second half of the twentieth century also brought political and economic changes. They resulted from the nationalization of industry and the introduction of a socialist economy. In the following decades, heavy and light industries developed in the city. Metallurgical plants and factories of houses, furniture, carpets, packaging, electronics, glassworks and food processing were established. On the outskirts of the city appeared industrial districts, which except the factories concentrated also storage facilities. Economic changes that took place in Poland after 1989 caused another change in the area of Białystok industry. Many state-owned factories went bankrupt and the remaining facilities and areas had to change their intended use. The conducted research compares the methods of dealing with the currently unnecessary structure. This has taken into account its location value in the city’s structure and its cultural characteristics. Analyses allowed to indicate new use of post-industrial facilities. There were selected post-industrial buildings that currently serve residential, office, educational and commercial purposes or house cultural institutions. There are also indicated facilities that have not found their new destination and have been demolished or are not currently in use. In conclusion, the research found that the city’s post-industrial legacy is equal to its heritage - it builds the identity of the place and it is also the difficult urban problem of the revitalization of large urban areas. Projects which were evaluated as well as positively as negatively are indicated. Their analysis allowed us to formulate general conclusions.