Hgh Points and Low Points in European Architecture

[billie709]

The ongoing debate over the costs of the London Olympics seems always to miss the point that this is an opportunity to endow London with something for generations to come. So often Expos, Olympics and other events have left a wonderful architectural legacy in their host cities. So good to see in the latest issue (dated May 2008) of hidden europe magazine a nice piece that explores the architectural legacy of Expos in various European cities. The magazine often addresses architectural and urban planning issues in its pages and on its website, having in recent months identified in Warszawa Wschodnia a railway station that is even less inspiring than Birmingham New Street (is that possible?) and been in search of Europe’s finest town square. Top place there went to Zamosc. Pics of that town square at www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/townsquare.php.

[solidred]

I'll check that magazine out... seems to be an unusual combination of architecture and travel tips.
To date, my vote for finest square in Europe would have to go to Barcelona's Placa Reial. Not just a beautifully proportioned space with a number of restaurants and warm climate, but there used to be this crazy old woman wandering around there to lend the atmosphere a certain je ne sais quoi

[billie709]

Other candidates (old and new) for Europe's finest town square that spring to mind are:

the Piazza Vecchia in Bergamo
the new Sony Centre development at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
Krakow's Rynek Glowny.

Other ideas?

There's a bit more on Zamosc architecture at
http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/article_info.php?articles_id=480

[lekizz]

How about St Mark's Square in Venice, it mst be one of the most sumptuous places for high architecture in Europe. And with a waterfront too!

Or St peter's Square in the Vatican, with its amazing colonnade and cathedral frontage

[Richard Haut]

fascinating subject - Zamosc's square is unique, but I would add Place Stanislaus in Nancy.

I think that it is a subjective matter - the atmosphere of the Place des Vosges in Paris or the Rynek in Krakow compared to London's garden squares ?

something that intrigues me down here in Nice are the "lost" urban spaces, those that used to be significant piazzas but, while they are still there, they no longer have the status that they once enjoyed because of the changes in status of some of the buildings around them or urban changes in the area.