Interview with Martin Jančok of zerozero, Prešov (SK)

Had you ever been to Košice before?

Yes, of course. A part of our team is from Prešov, which is very close to Košice. So we know Košice quite well.

Then I suppose that you have an explicit opinion about the choice of the Hornád river banks as site for the City Visions project?

Well, at the moment we see it as a quite clear task. The river isn't integrated into the city. The opposite is actually the case: the river disintegrates the city, cutting it into two parts. It's an obvious site to pick and a very appropriate topic for City Visions.

Don't you think it's too big as a site? I think it's quite difficult to grasp what characterizes this site, because it's 7 km long and has many different facets, incorporating a former magnesium factory as well as a park and several housing estates.

Yes, but I think we mainly have to deal with the fact that the river is a dividing element, which means that we'll have to work on the scale of the entire river banks. Of course one can apply this fact to some special places along the river.

You mean that you want to pick some sub-sites?

Yes. If you do this continually, the plan will grow and you can derive a long-term perspective from it.

That's also what the city architect of Košice says. He would prefer small-scale projects that have an influence on the surrounding areas rather than a big urban plan.

Maybe it's even possible to develop a kind of manual, which can evolve with time.

The city doesn't really have a vision of the functions that should be located along the river. Do you already have an idea which functions you would like to introduce? Or are you planning to work with the landscape?

We spoke about introducing a diverse range of functions, in order to create a lively environment. But it's too early to name percentages or something like that.

Do you think that the river is important for the identity of Košice? At the moment the city doesn't seem to care very much about it.

And it seems that it never did! The inhabitants only used a side-channel which was dug in the middle ages for proto-industrial purposes. The river never was an element of the city. But when the city grows, it will be necessary and also useful to integrate it.

So you think that it hasn't been part of the identity but could become part of it in future?

Yes, although I guess that most people who were born in Košice don't even think about this possibility. The river isn't part of their mental city map. It might even be more obvious for visitors from abroad.

The second city you work on for City Visions is Mechelen. Do you think that there are parallels between the two cities?

 

There are a few similarities, but also big differences. Mechelen and Košice both have a nice, compact historical centre. But the difference is that Mechelen has grown continuously, while in Košice there's a deep cut between the centre and the post-war housing estates.

Another big difference is that Mechelen is close to big cities like Brussels and Antwerp, while Košice is in an isolated position. Do you think that this offers some special chances for the city? Or in which other way does this influence the identity of a mid-scale city?

 

Being a mid-scale city in-between two big cities, like Mechelen, can be a disadvantage. It's caught in-between two rivals, constantly trying to become bigger and gain importance. Košice doesn't need to compete with any other city. But that might also be a disadvantage, because competition can be very healthy.

Do you think that you will develop a strategy for both cities in your project? Or do you want to treat them separately?

We will definitely work on both projects simultaneously, envisioning the future of mid-scale cities in general and then trying to apply this to the individual cities.

Interview by Anneke Bokern for City Visions Europe.