One response to the overheating of cities is creating microclimates — local zones to catch your breath. Water gardening can be of assistance here. This subject is being tackled by an outdoor exhibition created at Plac Małachowskiego by CENTRALA.
In 2018 the CENTRALA reconstructed a ‘water bowl’ in front of the Zachęta building — a basin with water plants. The concrete planters that once appeared in the Warsaw space were used for water holes — they created a network of ponds to irrigate and aerate the city. This flower bed concept was designed together with staff from the University of Warsaw Botanic Gardens, and then replicated elsewhere in Warsaw and in Gdańsk and Kielce, making a large-scale comeback for urban water gardening.
Water is a component of a microclimate. It affects the local temperature and air moisture. It creates environments for plants and animals and increases biodiversity. Its circulation causes most of our atmospheric phenomena. A small planter full of water joins the circulation on a planetary scale.
Three planters in front of the Zachęta building that have been there for six years and three new ones create a microclimate niche in Plac Małachowskiego. This is a green-blue enclave for the human and non-human inhabitants of the city, and a microclimate observatory — a space for mutual observation and experiencing weather events resulting from the circulation of water in the atmosphere.
Hydrofornia, performed live by artist Alicja Czyczel. Saturday, 31 August 2024, 19:25
Surrounded by pots of aquatic plants and an exhibition, the concert drew on various field recordings, poetic lyrics and voice improvisation. The concert had a respite and hydrating character. The audience was invited to lie down on deckchairs and blankets and immerse themselves in the extended soundscape of Warsaw at sunset.