Monument to Łódź Residents

The Monument to Łódź Residents is an installation unique on a European scale stretching 340 metres along Piotrkowska Street, consisting of 16,890 personalised pavement tiles containing a total of 300,000 letters - the names and surnames of Łódź residents. The project, designed by Zbigniew Bińczyk, an architect associated with the Piotrkowska Street Foundation, was realised in three stages from 2000 onwards.

Three parts of the monument

The Monument to Łódź Residents consists of three separate parts, realised in different years. The first part, the Monument to Łódź Residents of the Millennium Turning Point, contains 13,454 tiles and was created in 2000-2003. The second part, the Monument to Łódź Residents of the New Millennium with 3,046 tiles, and the third, the Monument to Łódź Identity with 390 tiles, were completed in 2014. Each tile measures 60 by 40 centimetres and contains a cast-iron plaque with the name and surname of the person whose name appears on the monument.

Dimensions and scope of the project

The total length of the monument is 340 metres, and its width is 1.56 metres. Its placement on Piotrkowska between the intersection of Struga and Tuwima streets and Zamenhof and Nawrot streets forms a central point on the city's pedestrian route. The monument extends across the full width of the pavement, creating a space through which hundreds of pedestrians pass daily, either unaware or aware that they are walking over the names and surnames of their neighbours.

Funding and social purpose

Funding for the monument was obtained through the sale of tiles by Łódź residents in 2001 and 2012. This form of capital collection served a dual purpose: apart from creating the monument itself, the proceeds supported the renovation of the most damaged section of Piotrkowska Street. Residents who bought a tile with their own name, that of a family member or friend, simultaneously became supporters of the restoration of the city's main pedestrian street.

Artistic and symbolic significance

The Monument to Łódź Residents is a tribute to the history of the city and its residents. Łódź, a city with a rich industrial, commercial and cultural tradition, resulted in a special type of monument-street that transforms every passer-by into a participant or observer of a work of art. It is a form of commemoration more egalitarian than traditional monuments to heroic figures, because it commemorates ordinary people who built and continue to build the history of Łódź.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Piotrkowska, between the intersections of ul. Struga/Tuwima and Zamenhof/Nawrot, Łódź
• Getting there: City centre Łódź, easily accessible on foot. Nearest public transport: trams and buses on Piotrkowska
• Opening hours: The monument is accessible 24/7 as part of the public Piotrkowska Street
• Admission: Free
• What to expect: 340 metres of personal pavement tiles, names and surnames of Łódź residents, part of the city's main pedestrian street, a walking point constituting artistic reflection on local history and identity