Once, I read about the two-way traffic on roads, that it is a pure madness. Cars, moving at the speed of over 100 km per hour in opposite directions, rushing just a few feet, sometimes inches apart ... That means a front collision at 200 km per hour!
In the orphanage at Krochmalna and at Bielany there existed
unidirectional traffic system. The buildings were constructed to
avoid collisions between running children. Janusz Korczak was involved in the work of the architects planning both orphanages.
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Entry and exit to the orphanage at Nasz Dom at Bielany (present view). Two wide doors. Handles on different sides! One-way traffic, collision-free.
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Entry and exit to the orphanage at Nasz Dom at Bielany. Two wide doors. Handles on different sides! One-way traffic, collision-free.
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| The orphanage at Nasz Dom at Bielany. The guests are leaving the house after opening ceremony (1928). Two wide doors, but just one open, the exit. Again, one-way traffic, collision-free. |
One-way traffic (or uni-directional traffic) is traffic that moves in a single direction on roads. In Korczaks planned orphanages it was adapted in the bedrooms - and most importantly in the dining room. Large dining room, was a common room for hundreds of children, and educators. Children having a duty to bring food trays from the kitchen took one way to the tables while others with empty plates were going out along the walls and never went back through the dining room to avoid "collisions" !
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| Large dining room at Krochmalna street, was a common room for hundreds of children and educators. Children having a duty to bring food trays from the kitchen took one way to the tables while others with empty plates were going out along the walls and never went back by crossing through the dining room. Just to follow the rules and to avoid the "collisions". Check single handles on double doors, thus indicating one way traffic! |
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Entry and exit to the orphanage Dom Sierot at Krochmalna street. There were
two wide doors. Korczak and children are leaving the house through the "exit door"!
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One-way traffic never caused any problems for children who understood it and accept alle the rules. However, the adults such as new teachers needed to familiarize themselves with these rules of pedestrian one-way traffic in the orphanage. Ida Merzan, one of the students working at the orphanage, got her firt lesson of one-way traffic by Korczak. Korczak just stood in her way when she tried to leave the room in the wrong way!
