Wykorzystanie walorów krajobrazu w kształtowaniu przestrzeni Muzeum Pierwszych Piastów na Lednicy

The Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica (two of the four branches: the Early Piast Residence Ostrów Lednicki and the Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice) are located in central Wielkopolska [Greater Poland] on the eastern shore of Lake Lednica. It is an open-air museum that encompasses archaeological and ethnographic exhibitions. This paper presents the results of several years of research, which included the analyses of the functional and spatial structure of the museum, its composition and landscape relations. The conclusions from the research allowed for the formulation of guidelines and, consequently, the development of the concept of visiting a museum facility and shaping its space to meet the diverse needs of tourists and making the most of the potential of this space. The research demonstrated that spatial disintegration is one of the most significant problems of the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica. The paper suggests therefore that functional and compositional relations should be created between individual areas, currently separated from each other. The presented concept is based on a zonal-nodal-linear system, constructed by distinctly organised and composed zones of varying purposes, four nodal points and four sightseeing routes. The proposed composition arrangement is supposed to bind the entire currently inhomogeneous museum space. The concept takes into account the diversity of tastes and needs of different groups of users, and at the same time indicates the use of the potential of the landscape. Individual means of expression used (elements of equipment, surfaces, greenery) are to inform and guide guests, encourage them to explore the museum space and read the content recorded in the landscape. The museum narration is carried out as part of a series of consecutive interiors of varied scale and composition, equipped with various architectural and plant elements. The concept also includes proposals for other activities in the field of landscape design, which plays the role of the content of the exhibition and its background in the case of openair museums. The article points out that the landscape background area should be protected in the spatial planning process and properly shaped using various methods and means of spatial planning and landscape architecture. The protection should cover all areas within the landscape background, in accordance with the designated visibility range. Ad-hoc actions aimed at the proper development of areas in the landscape background zone, without the need to introduce new legal regulations, are also possible. It was proposed that a curtain layout of greenery should be planted perpendicular to the axis of the view in order to obscure negative spatial accents in the areas adjacent to the Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park. Not only disharmonious structures should be covered, but also new view relations should be shaped and openings exposing the most attractive fragments of space, currently invisible, should be framed. For this purpose, it was proposed that part of the vegetation growing on the shore of Lake Lednica should be removed in order to create extensive views of the reservoir. It would also be beneficial to shape view openings to the surrounding farmlands, a characteristic spatial feature of the villages of Wielkopolska. The problem of shaping the space of the Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica discussed in this paper is in line with the current search for new solutions, increasing the readability and attractiveness of museums’ exhibitions. The currently observed globalisation processes, communication revolution and unlimited access to information create a new type of recipients. The recognition of their needs and expectations as well as the motives of their decisions and choices is necessary for the proper shaping of the museum space.