EN
Like in the case of Krynica and Zakopane, the excessive use of Sopot’s natural, land and cultural environment has brought about a serious endangering and devastation of the town. Traditions of Sopot as a 17th-cent. sub-Gdansk patrician settlement, the seat of Pomeranian magnates in the 18th century, its traditions as a centre of fish industry and fishermen’s village and finally as a seaside resort still find their reflection in various details of the buildings, in buildings themselves as well as in the arrangement of streets and squares in the town. At the beginning of this century Sopot began to change rapidly into a fashionable spa. In the northern seaside belt o f the town new recreation and entertainment centres were opened while in the southern part of the town a hippodrome was established. The Leśna Opera House and a famous casino at Hotel Grand were opened at the same time. After the 2nd World War Sopot found itself in the centre of the agglomeration known as „The Tri-City”. All pre-war spa, recreation and entertainment facilities of the town were brought back to life. A number of initiatives were taken up on a country-wide and even international scale, to mention only the International Song Contest. However, a growing number of population, including both permanent inhibitants and tourists, was not unfortunately accompanied by a rise in housing facilities and services. Old, one-family flats were adapted to new conditions and needs; this resulted in destroying elements of old architectural furnishings and details of unquestionable artistic value. Picturesquely ornamented facades of dwelling-houses and villas with eclectic or secession decor were deprived of all decoration during repair works and and thus acquired a purely practical unattractive form, without any architectonic expression. These and other problems involved in the construction of new high-rise buildings constituting a dangerous insertion into a harmonous landscape and nearly an act of aggression against the area protected because of its natural, landscape, town-planning and architectonic qualities awoked a countrywide interest in „the problem of Sopot” and brought about initiatives taken up with an aim of rescuing a historic character of the town. There arose conflicts, of course, as well as discussions on functional, spatial and town problems. In 1976 studies on town-planning and architecture of Sopot were extended, especially in respect of its historic and cultural restoration. Studies and works were initiated on restoration and modernization of old houses in Sopot. The most serious and controversial problem of the town appeared to be transport and as yet no final decision has been made. Sopot can be regarded as a very good example of a testing ground for conservation works covering a complex protection of spatial cultural environment, carried out with unconventional methods of organization, financing, execution and inspection. While preserving its landscape values and advantages of natural, land and cultural environment, Sopot should keep up all basic elements of land arrangement and distinguishing marks of its identity, i.e. a traditional scale and form of buildings from classic, romantic, eclectic and secession periods. On the other hand, however, the town should remain a living body and enrich old arrangements and spatial forms with new, even if vanguard, ones that would still be in conformity with primary functional conceptions, a traditional architectonic scale and a traditional town-planning composition.