Cracow catastrophes continue

Yesterday, fervent and loyal blog readers were having a look at the buildings of Cracow.
How some architects had been allowed by the city officials to build monstrosities.
But we must keep in mind that overall, Cracow is a most beautiful town where most buildings are very well preserved.

This does not exclude that other nonsense in this city is happening.
That somehow money forces its way into this society to make more money.
And now that destroying old buildings to construct calamities is hardly possible anymore, another way to confront the people with materialism and promoting consumerism has been found.

The entrepreneurs came with the clever idea to put large banners in front of buildings.
And the city administrators allowed this.
This phenomenon cannot only be seen in Cracow: in many cities worldwide this horrible way of making publicity is applied.

Good examples are the Hilton Hotel and the Polish TV office building in Cracow, Poland.
These two large buildings are located on the side of the river everybody sees when in the city.




In order to attract tourists to spend the night in the hotel and to promote some new TV series, gigantic banners have been placed against the side of the buildings.
In this way the whole facade of the building is obscured.
The architecture it represents has been eliminated.
The building designed by an architect is not a building anymore but it has been downgraded to a large publicity panel.

We may wonder why the responsible authorities believed this was a good and acceptable idea.
That the landscape to be seen from the city is not showing buildings and design and architecture anymore, but gigantic advertisements instead.

However, this anomalic situation is a peanut compared to what has been allowed on the Main Square of Cracow.
The very centre of this beautiful city where is a large square surrounded by century old buildings, churches and chapels.
With old cobblestones and calèches pulled by click clacking horses.
A square full of century long history and medieval atmosphere: probably one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe, period.

The authorities of Cracow have also allowed here even for banners to be put in front of the buildings.
Only to make publicity for again a TV-series or the food of the restaurant or for the exhibition in the building.
And as a compromise, on the banner they have imitated the windows that are hidden behind.














In Paris, France real estate owners would decide to renovate strategically located buildings.
A large scaffold would be put in front of the building and a large banner attached to it with an advertisement to promote for example a perfume or a car.
Often the money that was paid for the advertisement would finance the whole renovation.
And there have been cases that the renovation was willingly delayed because the advertisement was paid by month and bringing in substantial money.

In Cracow there is no renovation going on behind the banners.
It is just a way to promote capitalist consumerism.
The money a banner brings in to promote a restaurant is more important than keeping the beauty of the Main Square of Cracow.
Shame on the Cracow authorities to allow this.



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