Pľac

PĽAC means place.
It is a meeting point, a playground, a marketplace or a stage, a garden.
It is a place without prejudice.
It is a piece of urban furniture that creates space for spending time - for children as well as local residents.

The PĽAC project is the result of a participatory approach to space and architecture. In collaboration with children, teachers, architects, and architecture students, we revitalised a neglected site and transformed it into a shared space for the community. Involving local residents also strengthened their relationship to the place and their motivation to care for it.

PĽAC took place in 2016 through a series of workshops held directly within the community at the Special Primary School on Odborárska Street in Košice. During the workshops, children explored their relationship to space - from creating imaginary worlds, to shaping them using simple cardboard “furniture,” and eventually to collectively designing a place for play and rest.

Based on their input, a garden design was developed in close dialogue with the children. The proposal included wooden urban furniture, areas for play and community activities, new greenery, a community garden, a small stage, and a resting space under a tree.