Shaping the Cultural Space of a City on the Example of History of the Lock IV Theatre in Bydgoszcz

Abstract

The search for ways to develop a separate identity of a city has always involved providing a significant character to urban spaces. Nowadays, in the process of accelerated change and excessive growth, cities lose their individual character and become similar to each other. The elements that create an image of a city are public spaces and cultural and natural heritage. The indicated features of spatial forms and the manifestations of life associated with them allow the recognition of the sequence of city areas and identification with specific places. According to Kevin Lynch, elements of urban composition create cultural identity and symbols of collective memory. The aim of the article is to take up current research issues in the field of urban studies, on the example of history and creation of surroundings of the IV Lock Theatre in Bydgoszcz, in the area of the Old Canal. Assuming that this space creates identity of the place, an analysis was made concerning the architectural and compositional connections of public spaces with greenery in the theatre’s surroundings. In the last 200 years, until the outbreak of World War II in Poland, the process of individualizing this area was subject to conscious, comprehensive planning activities, which affected the image of the entire city. In the area surrounding the IV Lock Theater, which is the main object of research studies, numerous entertainment venues were created, including restaurants and garden cafes, playgrounds for children and adults, and sports fields. Process of degradation of this part of quays began after World War II, and its almost complete destruction took place after the decision to backfill a fragment of the Old Canal in the 1970s. Demolitions included historic locks and a stone bridge of Władysław IV, connecting the Trinity street with Grunwaldzka street, and boulevard layout was broken by removing over 100 historic trees. Currently, attempts to restore the significance and importance of this space are closely related to an initiative to reactivate the IV Lock Theatre in Bydgoszcz. Analyzing the architectural and compositional connections of public spaces around the theater in the context of this historical object as well as the revitalized space will show the directions of further shaping the cultural space of this part of Bydgoszcz, which is important for restoring an image of a city by the water.