Changes in the functions of buildings on the Krakow Main Square during the years of centralised planning

Abstract

The article is devoted to an analysis of the functional transformations that took place in the buildings of the Main Square (Rynek Główny) in Kraków between 1970 and 1990. The main objective of the work is a detailed and systematized characterization of the transformations in the use of individual sites and identification of the factors determining these changes – in particular, economic, but also social, political and administrative. The research carried out makes it possible to determine their direction and nature, their impact on the functional and spatial structure of the market, as well as to identify the long term consequences that determined the subsequent development of the area. The article uses a comparative method, which allows a comparison of the analyzed period with the interwar years. This has made it possible to show similarities and differences in the use of space and to indicate the mechanisms shaping the development trends evident in the following decades. The source bases for the study are academic publications on the history of urban planning, architecture and economic changes in Krakow, as well as archival materials documenting the appearance and functioning of buildings in different periods. Their analysis has made it possible to reconstruct the transformation processes and assess their impact on the long-term development of this part of the city.