Around two meters in its width, features of the decorative egg include a built-in sound system that would emit hatching sounds.

If approved, the egg would be located on Plac Pięcu Rogów, an urban project that is set to transform the junction where Chmielna, Bracka, Zgoda, Krucza and Szpitalna meet.

ZDM

Previously notorious for its grinding traffic and ugly concrete sprawl, the project envisions the junction being handed a new lease of life as a modern, pedestrian-friendly plaza adorned with street furniture, greenery, illuminations and public art.

Joanna Rajkowska

“All this will create a prestigious public space,” say WXCA, the architectural studio charged with the design.

ZDM / WXCA

“The introduction of deciduous trees into the compact quarter will transform this square into a peaceful enclave in the urbanized tissue of the city,” they add.

Rajkowska’s egg, meanwhile, would supply the revamped space with a creative, artistic twist. However, whilst her plans have been enthusiastically received by most, the installation faces resistance from the city’s conservator.

ZDM / WXCA

“We sent the project for their approval in the middle of 2020,” say WXCA, “but have yet to hear anything back from them.”
According to some sources, concerns have been voiced by the conservator as to how the egg will fit into the historical context of the square.

ZDM

For Rajkowska, such opposition is nothing new. Debuting in December of 2002, her palm tree at the center of Rondo De Gaulle’a divided Warsaw at the time: “I heard of one family that didn’t eat their Christmas dinner because of an argument they had about the tree,” recalls the artist.

Now an entrenched and beloved feature of downtown Warsaw, the palm has since come to embody the city’s dynamic, modern vision. Could the egg stand to join it? We would sincerely hope so.