Description
Revitalization of land and buildings of a disused coal mine helps change the negative image of Katowice and the region, still perceived only as a centre of heavy industry. Adaptation of two historic post-mining buildings for museum purposes and the development of their surroundings, revitalises this area in downtown Katowice and preserves the valuable complex of post-industrial buildings. Providing extra equipment for a digitalization unit, digitization of the most valuable collections and creating a virtual museum will help present exhibits that are not currently on display and preserve them for future generations. The implementation of the project increased the attractiveness and accessibility of the cultural offer of the Silesian Museum, as a result a wider audience will be reached: children, local community, tourists. Thanks to the cooperation with a partner - the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) the cooperation between Poland and Donor Countries, based on the exchange of experience in the field of restoration of historic buildings and revitalization of degraded urban areas, is intensified.
Summary of project results
The outcome of the project was restoration and adaptation of two historical ex-mine buildings – the main bath and carpentry workshop for museum purposes with purchase of necessary fittings and fixtures. As part of the project, the area of around 1.3 ha surrounding the building was restored and developed, and a new infrastructure was constructed, including an above-ground car park for passenger cars and coaches. The project also involved maintenance of historical industrial equipment, which will be displayed in the carpentry workshop, as well as purchase of additional fittings for the Digitisation Laboratory at Muzeum Śląskie to facilitate documentation of the history of culture and digital processing of the most valuable, unique museum collections. The restored carpentry workshop serves as an exhibition, educational and event space, while the main bath was adopted to serve three museum departments (History, Archaeology and Ethnology), which did not only gain professional study workshops and laboratories, but also space for temporary exhibitions. Museum collections digitalised as part of the project were made available to a wide range of recipients through a search engine implemented on the website, and secured for future generations. The aim of the expansion of the Muzeum Śląskie infrastructure was to establish space near the Museum’s new residence to carry out exhibition and academic activates, serving the Departments of Archaeology, History and Ethnology, which remained at the old premises, as well as to develop space for a permanent exhibition for children and for cultural and educational activity. This has allowed for the Museum to be consolidated in one area and for the expansion of its offering, especially services directed at children, the blind and people at risk of exclusion. Moreover, the degraded bathhouse and carpentry workshop in need of renovation had spoiled the aesthetics of the restored facilities and their condition had been a threat to visitors. The outcome of the project will be maintained mainly through planned cultural and educational activities carried out in the restored buildings.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research provided assistance in the preparation of the project's programme and during all of the actions undertaken within the bilateral Cooperation Fund. The Partner shared experiences related to the rejuvenation of post-industrial areas and co-operation with the local community. The study visits to Poland and Norway aimed at strengthening the relationship, whilst gaining better understanding of the characteristics of the areas of Silesia and the Akerselva River in Oslo. Not only was the Partner associated with visiting the selected institutions but also with meeting the persons responsible for the changes in the particular region. Those were the meetings with the people managing cultural institutions, architects and engineers as well as the people responsible for co-operation with the local community. Exchanging experiences and organizing events was possible thanks to the bilateral funds. The Partner's representatives actively participated in individual events organized at the Silesian Museum. During the 'Programme Scale' Workshops, Dominique Sellier discussed the example of the mining Nord-Pas-de-Calais as a live cultural landscape as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. During the subsequent workshops, the Partner's representatives participated in the meeting with the Museum's representatives and the experts who were invited to participate in the second part of the project. Its aim was to present the historical part of the Museum and discuss the possibility of further adaptation of post-mining objects to the Museum's needs. During the second module of the speeches, Dominique Sellier prepared a speech regarding the transformation of the Akerselva River in Oslo into creative actions and presented the concept of Patrick Bouchaina. During the third part of the project, D. Sellier carried out a dicussion dedicated to the Cultural Zone, whilst Laima Nomeikaite discussed the selected social artistic projects from Scandinavia and Poland. Furthermore, the Partner's representatives wrote articles to an electronic publisher, summarizing the 'Creative Shift' project. Executing the bilateral co-operation between the institutions, whose missions are related to the protection of cultural values, contributed to the creation of the space for the development of knowledge and multi-dimensional dialogue.