Revitalization of the swimming area in Przylasek Rusiecki

The revitalization of the swimming area is one of the more interesting projects that has enjoyed significant public support. If carried out in a sustainable manner, with respect for the natural environment and its needs, such initiatives can benefit everyone. Przylasek Rusiecki is a great example of this.

Before the revitalization of the swimming area

Reservoir No. 1 is part of a complex of 14 water reservoirs in Przylasek Rusiecki, located in the Nowa Huta district in Kraków, in a former bend of the Vistula River. This is a post-extraction area where gravel was mined in the 1950s and 1960s for the construction of a metallurgical plant. After extraction ended, the stabilization of water conditions led to the filling of the excavations with water. The investment area, including the reservoir, covers approximately 28.5 hectares. On its gentle slopes, due to natural succession, wetland and aquatic vegetation has developed, consisting of aquatic plants, reed beds of Phragmition, sedge marshes of Magnocaricion, acidic sedge fens of Caricetalia fuscae, alkaline sedge fens of Caricetalia davallianae, and riverside willows.

Before the project began, the area was largely degraded, littered, and in many places inaccessible and unsafe. The surrounding meadows and pastures were damaged during the summer season due to spontaneous parking by water sports enthusiasts.

The investment was one of the first municipal efforts in this part of Kraków, largely involving the revitalization of former post-industrial areas. The land around the water reservoir, which was formed as a result of gravel extraction, had recently served as a swimming area with a chaotic and makeshift infrastructure.

The completed project addresses a range of complex social, environmental, and legal conditions. The primary challenge was to strike a balance between investments that would enable enjoyable and safe use of the swimming area and respect for environmental values, which, through natural succession, have created picturesque riparian green areas with protected plant and animal species.

Among reeds and legal formalities

Waterfront areas are highly sought-after places for leisure, as confirmed by the crowds visiting each season. Kraków still lacks such recreational sites. The main objective of the project was to provide direct access to the water, offer a variety of attractions—both for extreme sports enthusiasts and those preferring a more relaxed experience—while ensuring the area is accessible to all potential users, regardless of age, mobility, or preferred activities.

The most distinctive feature of the revitalized swimming area is the piers, which cover a total of 3,000 square meters. Obtaining a water law permit for these structures involved a complicated jurisdictional dispute between the architectural department of the Kraków City Hall and the Voivode’s Office. The application submitted to the first-instance authority was redirected to the second-instance authority (the voivode) due to an alleged misfiling. However, the second-instance authority returned the application, upholding the correctness of its initial submission.

Another challenge was the significant fluctuation in water levels in the reservoir. To address this, floating piers with articulated sections at the shoreline connections were proposed. This ensures that users can walk about 30 cm above the water level regardless of fluctuations, without the risk of falling from a greater height.

As part of the project, all rainwater at Przylasek Rusiecki was also managed. Rainwater from roofs is distributed over green areas, while water from the hardened parking surface, after being purified through a hydrocarbon separator, is directed into the reservoir. Additionally, a section of storm drainage and an outfall were constructed, both of which required a water law permit as water infrastructure elements.

The transportation layout was designed based on existing roads and footpaths. Gravel paths continue onto wooden piers, one of which is possibly the longest floating wooden pier in Poland. This pier, winding between the water and the shoreline reeds, leads from the main entrance to the central point with the beach and technical and sanitary facilities. The design solutions fit the character of the site, with a strong emphasis on using natural materials such as wood and stone. Permeable gravel paths, wooden piers, and wooden building facades were incorporated. Fences were replaced with ecological willow plantings, referring to the tradition of pollarded willows, whose beautiful old specimens have survived from the pre-extraction era when the area was home to Kraków’s suburban meadows and pastures.

Another peculiar requirement was obtaining agricultural land exclusion permits for the planned pathways, even though these paths had been in use for years, replicating existing footpaths, and no agricultural production or grazing had taken place in the area for decades. Moreover, the entire site is designated in the Local Spatial Development Plan as inland water and landscaped greenery areas (WS/ZP.3). Notably, the administrative fee for issuing this purely theoretical exclusion decision amounted to over 2,000 PLN.

Two auxiliary buildings—a storage and maintenance facility and a sanitary and changing room—were built near the beach. Their architecture references the traditional farm buildings of the surrounding area. The structures were designed as simple, symmetrical forms in light colors. Materials such as white plaster, standing-seam metal roofing, and larch boards were used, resembling the finishes of traditional agricultural buildings in Kraków’s suburban villages. As a result, the buildings appear as though they have always been part of the landscape. Only upon closer inspection do modern finishing details reveal their contemporary construction.

All facilities are accessible to people with disabilities and were built according to universal design principles. The new recreational center accommodates young children, water sports enthusiasts (including extreme sports), and senior citizens. The water body was made accessible through the construction of docking piers for both the site’s equipment and individual users.

Recreation in harmony with nature

The development minimally interferes with the existing riparian vegetation. Picturesque reed beds and wildflower meadows were preserved and supplemented. High greenery plantings were incorporated in a way that complements the naturalistic character of the site, using species suitable for the habitat. The project included an analysis of the existing plant composition, and characteristic elements were replicated in new plantings. As a result, common hops were introduced on building facades, and pollarded willows were planted along walking paths.

The project received wide recognition in local media and was very positively received by nearby residents and the entire city, even attracting visitors from further away. The extensive sports and recreational offerings were subtly integrated into the ecologically valuable landscape, ensuring that the main investment goals—meeting social needs and expectations—were achieved while maintaining the site’s natural beauty.

The recreational area at Reservoir No. 1 in Przylasek Rusiecki in numbers

On land:

• crushed stone: 11,000 tons
• sand for the beach: 7,000 tons
• underground cables: 40 km
• hollow bricks used for buildings: 6,000 units

Piers:

• screws used: 27,000 units
• bolts used: 91,000 units
• total length of laid planks: 22.7 km
• total buoyancy of piers: 225 tons

The project included the construction of:

• service paths: 1,296.8 m²
• parking lot with service road: 1,440 m²
• recreational promenade: 6,845.76 m²
• access boulevard: 3,312.03 m²
• sanitary and storage buildings
• small architectural elements: benches (39), trash bins (48), hammocks (13), sun loungers with tables (15), bike racks (12+4), information boards (4), beach umbrellas (4), street lamps, and boulders (5)
• fishing and observation piers: 1,096 m² with 582 m² of gangways
• docking piers: 539 m² with 64 m² of gangways
• recreational piers: 532 m² with 97.92 m² of gangways
• launch ramps for watercraft: 95 m²
• swimming beach with slides: 10,010.51 m²
• outdoor event tent with utilities
• playground: 432 m²
• beach volleyball courts: 960 m²
• floating children’s pool
• seasonal lifeguard towers (3)
• water supply, sewage, energy, and photovoltaic installations
• telecommunications infrastructure, wireless internet, and monitoring
• electric vehicle charging station (dual-stand)
• ski lift adaptation
• access road reconstruction

Saneccy sp. z o.o. Architektura x Krajobraz is a studio specializing in combining projects in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, and art. The company is based in Kraków and operates throughout Poland. It was founded and is run by Agnieszka and Marek Saneccy. The studio’s portfolio includes numerous projects for both revitalized and newly designed urban parks, including Park Reduta in Kraków, which won first prize in the Green Building Awards, as well as the recreational area in Przylasek Rusiecki in Kraków, which also received first place in the same competition. Other notable projects include the revitalization of Planty Salinarne in Bochnia and a public-use building, the Amphitheater in Krynica-Zdrój. The studio has also received multiple awards in architectural competitions, such as third prize and a distinction at the Biennale of Architecture in Kraków in 2015 for the project “Roads to Freedom” in Gdańsk, first prize for Plac Czerwonych Gitar in Gdańsk in 2022, and second prize for the viewing platform in Jarosławiec in 2024. Since 2023, the studio’s new headquarters has also been home to the Saneccy Art Gallery.

Main photo: Rafał Barnaś

Project details:
Przylasek Rusiecki – Recreation and Leisure Center
General designer: Saneccy Sp. z o.o. Architektura x Krajobraz
Marek Sanecki x Agnieszka Sanecka
General contractor: Krisbud Sp. z o.o.
Design: 2019-2020
Construction: 2020-2021
Opening: 08.07.2021