The Adaptation of Medieval Castle Ruins in Zabkowice Slaskie (Poland) for Touristic Services

Abstract

The ruins of the medieval castle from the 14th century are the subject of the analysis presented in this paper. The castle is located in Zabkowice Slaskie (known as Frankenstein), in the Sudeten Foreland (Poland) on the former Wroclaw-Prague trade route. Destroyed and rebuilt several times, it was a remarkable work of Renaissance architecture and in its most representative form from the beginning of the 16th century. The castle was abandoned at the end of the 18th century and since then has fallen into destruction, finally being qualified as a permanent ruin. In 2011, conceptual and design conservation works were undertaken to secure the facility in order to make the ruins available for tourists. At the same time new buildings were introduced to the castle area to fulfill a variety of new utility functions. The authors of this paper have focused on the architectural and structural solutions of the adaptation of the ruins in the northwestern part of the castle, proposing the concept of a self-supporting laminated timber construction for a tourist information and exhibition center building as an element which can attracts visitors. Inspiration for the proposed concept of adaptation was the execution on the site of the ancient ruins of a new construction of laminated timber structures, which has recently become very popular in Europe.