History
The construction of the “Rynek Underground” Museum brought changes to the arrangement of this part of the square. The Zin’s Fountain, installed in 1964, was dismantled in 2005 and reconstructed in Jerzmanowski Park in Kraków. When the museum opened in 2010, its presence in the public space of Kraków’s Main Market Square was marked by the new “Crystal” Fountain, which also serves as a skylight.

Site
For generations, the north-eastern part of the Market Square has been associated with the flower vendors, who for many years were accompanied by Professor Zin’s fountain. It is a particularly important place where people can sit, relax, and wait for the famous trumpet call from St. Mary’s Basilica Tower.

Concept
The concept of the project is to restore the intimate atmosphere historically associated with Professor Zin’s fountain while preserving the functional role of both the fountain and the skylight. The combination of the fountain and skylight functions has created operational and maintenance difficulties. Therefore, the proposal separates these elements into two distinct forms: a recreation of Professor Zin’s fountain in its original shape and historic character, but executed in a different material and with contemporary detailing; and a skylight that, in addition to framing a valuable view of St. Mary’s Basilica towers, establishes a visual connection between the underground museum and the Market Square above. The composition of these two forms is intended to symbolize respect for history—both the distant past and the more recent heritage of the site. The symbolism proposed in the design refers to the Kraków legend of Princess Wanda and floral motifs, also acknowledging the flower vendors who have shaped the contemporary identity of this part of the Market Square for many years. On the fountain’s medallion, we propose placing an image of Wanda encircled by a wreath of wildflowers, referencing the beautiful Kraków tradition of the Wianki (Midsummer Wreath Festival).

Urban Design
The project draws inspiration from Professor Zin’s spatial concept, in which the fountain does not occupy the central point of this part of the square. Positioned closer to the Cloth Hall, it gains a meaningful relationship with and backdrop from the Renaissance architecture. The limited project area does not allow the fountain to be placed in its original location. Therefore, it is proposed to shift it away from the axis defined by the historic elements of the square: St. Adalbert’s Church and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Compared to the existing arrangement, the fountain and skylight have been simplified in form and separated into distinct elements, allowing them to fit more appropriately within the scale of the small architectural features of Kraków’s Main Market Square.

Architectural Solutions
The architecture of the proposed elements subtly creates a dialogue between contemporary and historic forms. The lightness of the proposed prism-shaped skylight is contrasted with the classical proportions and detailing of Professor Zin’s fountain. The transparency of the new structure discreetly signals the presence of the museum beneath the Market Square. An intriguing optical illusion of a figure appearing within the prism may also provide an attractive setting for souvenir photographs from Kraków.

Sculptural Solutions
The sculptural detail is proposed as a convex bas-relief medallion depicting Princess Wanda disappearing beneath the waters of the Vistula River, with her hair radiating and floating upward in the water around a wreath of wildflowers.