Located in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains in southern Poland, the Świętokrzyska Promenade is an urban revitalisation project along the historic Royal Route, connecting the centre of Nowa Słupia with the route towards the Holy Cross Monastery.

Completed in 2025, the project transforms a section of the town’s main street into a more pedestrian-friendly public space. New paving, planting, lighting and custom-designed street furniture introduce places to rest, meet and experience the surrounding landscape.

The design responds to the existing urban fabric and the history of the Royal Route while addressing the everyday needs of residents and visitors. It explores how historic streets in smaller towns can be adapted to contemporary use while retaining their local character.

The project was designed by GDAK Studio, an architecture and landscape architecture practice based in Kielce, Poland, led by Ewelina Gdak in collaboration with architect and artist Michał Gdak.

Two presentations at the Barbican Centre

On Thursday, 3 December, Michał Gdak will take part in two presentations during the SHARE Architecture Festival.

At approximately 1:30 pm, he will present Beyond Architecture: Art, Landscape and Public Space, introducing the work of GDAK Studio and selected projects exploring the relationship between architecture, landscape, art and design.

Later that afternoon, the Świętokrzyska Promenade will be presented to the international jury during the 2:20–5:00 pm Live Jury Session, in the Sport, Civic and Community / Completed Building category.

The jury for this session includes Paola Cattarin (Zaha Hadid Architects), Christian Male (SimpsonHaugh) and Donncha O’Shea (Gustafson Porter + Bowman).

The SHARE Architecture Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday, 4 December, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The participation of GDAK Studio in the London event is supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute through the Polish Culture Around the World programme and by the Municipality of Nowa Słupia.

The project itself was commissioned by the Municipality of Nowa Słupia and implemented with financial support from Poland’s Government Road Development Fund.

Event information

SHARE Architecture Festival & Awards 2026
3–4 December 2026, London

3 December — Barbican Centre

1:30 pm — Beyond Architecture: Art, Landscape and Public Space
Michał Gdak, GDAK Studio
Frobisher Room 5

2:20–5:00 pm — Live Jury Session 6.2
Adaptive, Retrofit + Sport, Civic and Community
Świętokrzyska Promenade – Revitalisation of the Royal Route in Nowa Słupia
Frobisher Room 6

4 December — Royal Academy of Arts

12:30–4:00 pm — SHARE Architecture Awards Ceremony

Schedule: https://awards.share-architects.com/program-2026

Project: Świętokrzyska Promenade – Revitalisation of the Royal Route in Nowa Słupia
Practice: GDAK Studio, Poland
Website: www.gdakstudio.pl