SUBJECT: Shipyard cranes are one of the most important elements of the Gdańsk landscape. Sociological research and various local initiatives prove the great commitment of society to the preservation of cranes in the yard.
In the urban planning analyzes commissioned by the City of Gdańsk, specific locations in the Young City were identified where individual cranes could remain.
The question arises in what form the port cranes would fit into the new landscape of the post-shipyard areas.
IDEA: Attempts to revitalize Gdańsk cranes, due to the symbol they constitute in the public consciousness, require deep analysis and an individual design approach. In our opinion, standard ideas for highlighting port cranes, giving it a new color (or restoring the original color) are banal and common solutions already found in many port cities.
Conceptual work should look for original solutions adequate to the unique form and scale of Gdańsk port cranes.
In the presented study, we treat light as an integral element of the crane. The whole structure, as it were, becomes light, symbolically drawing to itself and revealing its hidden beauty.
GOAL: Port cranes transformed by light could give a clear signal that Gdańsk wants to build a unique district. A strong sign would be created to identify the Young City, and even Gdańsk, against the background of other port cities.
In our opinion, a complete visual identification system for the new district of Gdańsk should be developed in parallel, consistent with the concept of revitalizing port cranes. As part of this study, you can design logos, pictograms, typography and small architecture inspired by the form of a crane or other characteristic artifacts of the shipbuilding industry.
SOLUTIONS: The concept assumes filling with light the fragments of the spatial structure of port cranes. The idea can be developed in many directions, but the solutions cannot dominate the harbor crane itself. The best solution is a form of light integration that will emphasize the structure and silhouette of the lift. In our concept, we analyze 2 variants:
1.we install transparent material on the last element of the crane’s arm and fill the whole structure with a light source
2. we introduce linear light on individual elements of the lift structure
In the presented concept, we also show the possibility of using colored light as an element of the landscape of a living city. The color of the light could be adapted to the current events and celebrations in Gdańsk.
