Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy. The issue of the role of the architect based on examples of public buildings in Krakow

Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

doi:10.37190/arc220305

Abstract

The paper presents the selected examples of public buildings in Kraków, constructed between 2000–2016, which gained recognition from both local community and the architectural society. These are cultural facilities: Małopolska Garden of Arts, Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka, MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art, Józef Czapski Pavilion, and Polish Aviation Museum. The common feature for all the described buildings is the contextual philosophy of designing. According to this philosophy, the context of place and the conditions deriving from it (including legal protection of historic buildings and areas) are perceived not as limitations but the source of inspiration for an architectural idea. The new building can be context-dependent on many levels, from the most literal to the metaphorical ones, both within the area of architectural form and the symbolic meanings. Thanks to the use of contextual architectural philosophy, the new buildings are raised both valuable as a contemporary contribution to the urban space and also respecting its historical character and genius loci. Contextual architecture is thus the best solution for urban spaces nowadays, especially within the historic cities with numbers of monuments protected by law, such as Kraków.

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2022

3(71)

DOI: 10.37190/arc220305

Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz*

Contextualism as a contemporary

architectural design philosophy.

The issue of the role of the architect

based on examples of public buildings in Krakow

Introduction

Architecture is the eld of art that is most accessible

to a wide audience and has a real impact on everyone’s

living space, while at the same time it is the most strong-

ly connected with and dependent on external conditions.

The object of architecture is never erected in a creative

vacuum, but in a specic environment that aects it in

various ways, both through the specics of the order and

natural, historical, sociological or legal conditions. Final-

ly, the creation itself, the realization of an architectural

work is not the result of the creative action of one person,

but the cooperation of numerous specialists in various

elds. Modern times, along with the rapid development

of technology, have brought about a questioning of the

role of the architect himself. The concept of “architecture

without an architect” implies the use of articial intelli-

gence and 3D modeling techniques to create a structure

perfectly inscribed in a specic spatial context, taking

into account all denable conditions, such as terrain, cli-

mate, local law [1]. The creative process is reduced in this

concept to an impersonal design of a building meeting

external requirements based on optimizing algorithms.

With the undoubted utilitarian appeal of such a solution,

the question arises about the role of the architect himself.

Is it a redundant profession in this day and age? In the

computerized modern construction industry, will there no

longer be a demand for the creative act itself? The archi-

tect is the only one capable of connecting the concept of

optimization (interpreted as the best possible integration

of a new building with the environment) with the presence

of an idea. With the idea, the architect can create an orig-

inal modern form of high quality, and also give the build-

ing some symbolical meaning. The extreme oppositional

concept of architecture as ars pro arte, programmatically

disregarding the environment in order to create a work

that is solely a manifestation of the creator’s individual

concept, often shocking in form and strongly dominating

the place in which it is created, seems inapplicable in the

spaces of historic cities, amidst a rich historic fabric and

under the current conditions of developed legal protection

of cultural landscapes. The creators of the latest works of

public architecture in Krakow also face these questions

and dilemmas. The purpose of this study is to show that

the answer is the concept of contextualism, interpreted as

a combination of respect for the historical environment

with the presence of a creative idea, necessary to give the

work an iconic value, at the same time sanctioning the

sense of the architect’s work. The intention of this arti-

cle is also to formulate assessments and criteria for the

analysis of contextual implementation on the example of

selected case studies.

The author presents examples of public buildings built

in Krakow in 2000 and 2016, which both won recognition

in the architectural community and were socially accept-

ed in the historic urban space. The common denominator

of the described works is precisely the design philosophy

based on contextualism, according to which the architect

and his creative thought is a kind of medium between the

historical heritage and modernity, he is the one who trans-

forms the conditions, understood as limitations, into the

material of inspiration, in order to create an object both

* ORCID: 0000-0002-8827-9397. Faculty of Architecture, Cracow

University of Technology, Poland, e-mail: jbialkiewicz@pk.edu.pl

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

50 Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

The following study focuses on objects of cultural char-

acter built in the historic urban space of Krakow, where

the main challenge for architects was the context of the

historic heritage and the limitations of its legal protection.

Under these conditions, it is particularly evident how con-

textualism allows to combine genius loci with modernity,

and in the hands of a talented creator, respect for tradition

proves to be an excellent starting point and stimulation for

innovation.

Analysis of selected projects

Małopolska Garden of Art

The design of the Małopolska Garden of Art (MOS) by

Ingarden & Ewý Architekci was selected through a com-

petition in 2005 and implemented in 2010–2012 [13]. The

building at 12 Rajska Street was erected on the site of

a 19

-century riding school, used as storage and workshop

facilities of the J. Słowacki Theater, opposite the building

of the Regional Public Library. The immediate vicinity of

the building is made up of residential buildings from the

turn of the 19

and 20

centuries, typical of the build-

ings surrounding the historic center. The goal of designer

Krzysztof Ingarden was to create a modern cultural center

open to a wide audience, while respecting the statutory

provision on the need to “continue the functions, parame-

ters, features and indicators” of the historic neighborhood

buildings

. The architect’s answer to such a task became

precisely the contextual method, thanks to which it was

possible, within the framework of the existing conditions,

to develop an innovative form with a highly individual

and contemporary expression. The contextualism of the

Małopolska Garden of Art is expressed through a multi-

faceted implementation of the principle of continuity. The

rst idea is the continuation of functions – the new build-

ing accommodated a theater stage (referring to the previ-

ous use of the hall) and a multimedia mediatheque, which

is a branch of the neighboring library on Rajska Street.

The theater space (which is in fact a multi-purpose per-

formance, concert and conference hall) has been inscribed

into the dimensions of the former riding hall. The entrance

to it leads through a glass foyer, which simultaneously ex-

poses the historic façade of the hall and creates a visual

opening and connection with the garden in front of the

building (Fig. 1). The second part of the building – the

mediatheque – is a new building added perpendicularly

from Szujskiego Street and houses multimedia collections

thematically related to art (Fig. 2). Another way to set the

edice in context is to continue the architectural form and

the parameters and features of the existing building. Thus,

the design of the Ingarden & Ewý studio retains the height

and divisions corresponding to the buildings it faces: both

the ridges and cornices are extensions of the neighboring

ones. The form of the dressage hall and its skylight have

This is a provision of 27 March 2003 Ustawa o planowaniu i za-

gospodarowaniu przestrzennym [Law on planning and spatial develop-

ment] [14].

perfectly inscribed in the surroundings, as well as distinc-

tive and speaking the language of modernity.

The current state of research

There is extensive literature on the subject of contex-

tualism in architecture itself, including in Poland. These

include both studies of a general nature, focusing on

the theory and philosophy of contextualism itself, and

those devoted to specic projects. Among the former,

we can mention the article Architektura a kontekst miejs

ca [Architecture versus a place context], whose authors

– Jan Wrana, Agnieszka Fitta – note that the creation of

concepts in architecture is to understand the context, and

only objects whose creation was preceded by an analysis

of the place have a chance to “live” in urban space [2].

In a collection of articles on the subject, Eseje o tożsa

mości miejsca [Essays on identity of place], Wrana

writes about “place-directed” architecture [3] and the

action of an architect who, after analyzing the existing

conditions within the context of the place, decides to cre-

ate a “new identity” through the creation of a new form

[4]. In the study O metaforze w architekturze współcze-

snej [On metaphor in contemporary architecture], Mar-

cin Charciarek denes context as an element that de-

termines the meaning of an architectural statement and

forms a cause-and-eect relationship with the form

[5]. Marta Urbańska, in her work Najnowsze realizacje

polskie w kontekście historycznym – ochrona wartości

przez architekturę decorum [Recent Polish realisations

in the historical context – protection of values through

the architecture of decorum], gives some examples of

contextual architecture of iconic nature created in Po-

land after 2000 [6]. Examples of contextualism in Polish

public architecture are also mentioned in the study Myś-

li – Marzenia – Miejsca. Architektura polska w inno-

wacyjnej współczesności [Thoughts – Dreams – Places.

Polish architecture in innovative modernity] by Nina

Juzwa and Jakub Świerzawski [7]. In the doctoral thesis

by Małgorzata Wijas Kontekst w polskiej architekturze

XXI wieku. Wybrane przykłady [Context in Polish ar-

chitecture of the 21

century. Selected examples], the

author puts forward the thesis that the consideration of

context is one of the elements that aect the high quality

of contemporary architectural and urban creations [8].

A reference to protecting the spiritual value of a place

can be found in the 2008 Declaration on the preserva-

tion of the spirit of place [9], while a reference to the

harmonious integration of the past with the present in

the 2011 UNESCO document The Recommendation on

the Historic Urban Landscape [10]. Among the studies

devoted to specic structures, we can mention Krzysz-

tof Ingarden’s articles in which he analyzes his own

contextual creative philosophy, including Contextual

architecture: between mimesis and abstraction – proj-

ect of Małopolska Garden of Art [11] and Poszukiwanie

metody – eksperymenty z kontekstem i materiałem na

przykładzie wybranych projektów własnych [In search

of the method – experiments with the context and mate-

rials in selected own projects] [12].

Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy 51

also been preserved, while the staircase reproduces the

pattern of polychrome, a fragment of which was discov-

ered on the walls of the hall. The idea of material conti-

nuity is realized by the use of ceramic bricks. The front

wall of the riding hall was also restored, using demolition

brick. As Ingarden himself writes, the design method of

the Małopolska Garden of Art is based on a combination

of two opposing principles of interpreting the neighbor-

hood – on the one hand, respecting morphological conti-

nuity and operating with a scale comparable to the existing

structures, and on the other, abstracting and interpreting.

Thus, the façade divisions of the new building relate di-

rectly to the neighboring tenements, but the form of the

façade itself has a thoroughly modern character of an open

band composition, made of glass and an obscuring vertical

arrangement of ceramic elements. The historic forms and

material have been transformed to create a building with

an original and modern character. The architect describes

this as a “method of reinterpreted local code”. “The local

code” is elements taken from the environment, subjected

to creative interpretation combined with abstraction un-

derstood as creating a modern and individual form.

Centre for the Documentation of the Art of

Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka

The building housing the headquarters of the Centre

for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor was

(nsMoonStudio) and Stanisław Deńko (Biuro Architek-

toniczne Wizja) in 2006 and erected in 2010–2014 [15].

The building was constructed in a special place, on the site

of the historic Podgórska Power Plant on the banks of the

Vistula River. In his statements, Cricoteka designer Piotr

Nawara places special emphasis on the concept itself, as

the main sense of a contemporary architect’s work [16].

It is the presence of a creative idea that, in his opinion,

distinguishes construction aiming at utilitarian optimi-

zation from architecture “with the potential of an icon”,

which has the chance with its form and message to “set

the framework for the changing reality”

. The Cricoteka

building has been rmly embedded in the context of the

site. The historic power plant buildings have been care-

fully restored and given a new function – they house the

archive, a multipurpose room, as well as administration

and research department rooms (Fig. 3). Above them,

a modern block has been erected in the form of two “legs”

– reinforced concrete communication shafts – between

which, like a bridge, a wing containing exhibition spac-

es has been spanned (Fig. 4). The façades of the block

are nished with openwork panels made of weathering

sheet, referring to the post-industrial character of the

place, and its mirror-like underside reects the historic

buildings and the Vistula River. In Cricoteka’s design we

are dealing with simultaneous contrasting and merging of

“new” and “old”. The atectonic structure rises above the

carefully restored historic buildings of the power plant,

seemingly not integrating with its surroundings, which,

however, are reected in its mirrored surface. In this way,

Noticeable are those buildings that have iconic potential. With

the current overproduction of absolutely everything, only those things

and objects that denitely rise above the average, are memorable. An

architect will be a potential creator of unremarkable places and spaces.

[…] Engineering will be taken over by specialized construction compa-

nies, while questions of aesthetics, ideas, crossing certain boundaries,

juxtaposing materials, functions and needs will belong to the architect

[16, pp. 152, 153].

Fig. 1. Małopolska Garden of Art, view from Rajska Street

(photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 1. Małopolski Ogród Sztuki, widok od ul. Rajskiej

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Fig. 2. Małopolska Garden of Art, view from J. Szujskiego Street

(photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 2. Małopolski Ogród Sztuki, widok od ul. J. Szujskiego

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

52 Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

modernity becomes both a reection of the site’s histo-

ry and its contemporary dynamic life. Standing out in the

landscape of the Vistula boulevards, the Cricoteka build-

ing draws attention with its design boldness and huge

metaphorical charge, with numerous references to Kan-

tor’s creative postulates. The historic buildings, together

with the bridge of modern form thrown over them, form

a whole that simultaneously grows out of the context of

the place and gives it a completely new, so desired by the

architect, “iconic” quality (Fig. 5).

Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow

The design of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kra-

kow (MOCAK), by Italian architect Claudio Nardi (Clau-

di Nardi Architette, Leonardo Maria Proli), was selected

through a competition in 2007, and realized in 2009–2010

[17]. The idea behind the building was to introduce a new

contemporary quality to the former industrial district,

Fig. 3. Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor

Cricoteka on Nadwiślańska Street. View of the restored buildings

of the former Podgórska Power Plant housing, among other things,

a multi-purpose room (photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 3. Ośrodek Dokumentacji Sztuki Tadeusza Kantora Cricoteka

przy ul. Nadwiślańskiej. Widok na odrestaurowane budynki

dawnej Elektrowni Podgórskiej mieszczące m.in. salę wielofunkcyjną

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Fig. 4. Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor

Cricoteka on Nadwiślańska Street (photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 4. Ośrodek Dokumentacji Sztuki Tadeusza Kantora Cricoteka

przy ul. Nadwiślańskiej (fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Fig. 5. Centre for the

Documentation of the Art of

Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka

on Nadwiślańska Street,

shot from the Father Bernatek

footbridge on the Vistula River

(photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 5. Ośrodek Dokumentacji

Sztuki Tadeusza Kantora Cricoteka

przy ul. Nadwiślańskiej ujęcie

z kładki Ojca Bernatka na Wiśle

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy 53

while respecting the history and identity of this unique

place. As in the case of Cricoteka, the site of the former

power plant was revitalized, here the edice of the new

museum was inscribed in the neglected buildings of Kra-

kow’s Schindler’s Factory at 4 Lipowa St. Nardi’s proj-

ect involved the adaptation of six existing buildings and

the erection of one new. The result was a non-monolithic,

dispersed complex of buildings with dierent functions

and dimensions, connected by a paved promenade also

used for outdoor projects. Building A is the main specta-

tor service area, housing the exhibition space, main lobby,

bookstore and café. Its right side adapts factory buildings,

while the left side is an entirely new structure. The new

museum building is partially hidden underground, so it

does not dominate its surroundings either. Building B,

which combines exhibition, workshop, oce and so-

cial functions, makes full use of former industrial halls,

one of which has been opened up to form a patio used

for de monstra tions and screenings. Most of the building

structure is new, although some original walls have been

preserved. It is architecture strongly marked by modern

technologies. The main façade of Building A on the south

side catches the eye with its glass surface. The concrete

“south wall” displaying the MOCAK name visually bal-

ances the presence of the pre-existing Oskar Schindler’s

Enamel Factory (Fig. 6). The architect’s main idea of

linking the building to the site’s context became the motif

of the shed roof, typical of preserved factory halls, which

was also extended to the structure of the new edice. It be-

came the leading visual element of the whole, dening not

only the form of the building, but also creating its easily

remembered logo. In the MOCAK building, the shed roof

both metaphorically and quite literally connects the past

with the present, as well as industrial tradition with mod-

ern culture (Fig. 7). Continuity and memory are the dom-

inant motifs here that dene the contextual character of

the building. As Claudio Nardi himself said, the dominant

“culture of absolute conservatism” in the spaces of histor-

ic cities these days can be for an architect not a constraint,

but a passionate challenge, dening the essential meaning

of his work [18]. According to the Italian architect, respect

for “roots” and the ability to transform tradition gives new

objects a fantastic depth of meaning

Józef Czapski Pavilion

The Józef Czapski Pavilion at 12 Piłsudskiego Street

is part of the complex of the Emeryk Hutten-Czapski

Museum – a branch of the National Museum in Krakow

[19]. The tendered project by Danuta Fredowicz and Olga

Fredowicz was created in 2011–2013, and was completed

in 2016. The building is hidden in a garden, in an area

bounded on two sides by historical walls, among out-

buildings of tenement houses between Piłsudskiego and

Smoleńsk streets, in the immediate vicinity of the Czapski

Palace and buildings of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts

and AGH University of Science and Technology (Fig. 8).

Designing a completely new building in such a com-

pact area, between the historic walls and the gable wall

of a historic tenement, was certainly the most important

challenge for the architect. Initially, the originators of the

idea of the Pavilion envisioned a one-story building with

a historicizing style, but eventually a building three times

larger (with three overground oors with a usable viewing

terrace on the roof) and designed in modern forms was

realized. Resembling a white box, the Pavilion retains the

scale characteristic of the neighboring outbuildings, while

at the same time its abstract cuboid form stands out from

its surroundings like an autonomous work of art (Fig. 9).

Inscribed perfectly between the neighboring buildings,

in the plan lot Czapski Pavilion is composed of a rect-

angle on the south side, which connects to a trapezoid

on the north side. The white façade made of corian with

Conserving the roots while you transform them gives fantastic

depth to the new organisms – that’s what I was aiming for when I de-

signed the MOCAK… [18].

Fig. 6. MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art on Lipowa Street,

concrete “south wall” displaying the MOCAK name

(photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 6. Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej MOCAK przy ul. Lipowej,

betonowy „mur południowy” eksponujący nazwę MOCAK

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Fig. 7. MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art on Lipowa Street

with its distinctive shed roof (photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 7. Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej MOCAK przy ul. Lipowej

z charakterystycznym dachem szedowym (fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

54 Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

a facsimile of Józef Czapski’s signature brings to mind

a blank painting canvas, ready to receive art

. In addition

to exhibition spaces, the building houses a café, multime-

dia rooms and a reading room, while a garden has been

arranged in front of the pavilion, partly using climbing

plants and perennials from the old garden of the Czap-

ski Palace. The link between the garden and the cubic

body is a glazed veranda protruding at ground level. The

café is reminiscent in style of the Parisian cafeterias of

the early 20

century, which often appear in the artist’s

paintings. Despite its unmistakably modern character, the

architecture of the building remains very ascetic, neutral

and unobtrusive. Czapski Pavilion is a peculiar enclave of

art, hidden in the space of urban gardens, usually closed

The façade of the building can be used as a screen for projections.

and inaccessible to visitors. Being hidden in the garden,

the building is not directly adjacent to any historic façade,

hence its modern form does not compete with the histor-

ic buildings, but only complements and enriches them.

In this case, architectural minimalism served to set the

building in the context of the place, where in the midst

of eclectic historical buildings with a variety of functions

and surrounded by nature appears a building so autono-

mously modern, and at the same time completely devoid

of the will to dominate the surroundings, being a symbolic

tribute to the devotees of art.

Polish Aviation Museum

The international competition for the new building

of the Polish Aviation Museum was won by the German

oce Pysall.Ruge Architekten in cooperation with archi-

Fig. 9. View from the terrace of

the Józef Czapski Pavilion

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 9. Widok z tarasu pawilonu

Józefa Czapskiego

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Fig. 8. Józef Czapski Pavilion

in the garden

of the Emeryk Hutten-Czapski

Museum on J. Piłsudski Street

(photo by J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 8. Pawilon Józefa Czapskiego

w ogrodzie Muzeum

im. Emeryka Hutten-Czapskiego

przy ul. J. Piłsudskiego

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy 55

tect Bartłomiej Kisielewski. The project was designed in

2005–2007 and completed in 2010 [20]. In addition to

Cricoteka and MOCAK, it is another modern museum

facility realized in a complex of historical buildings. The

Aviation Museum complex had been operating since 1963

on the site of the historic Rakowice-Czyżyny military

airport dating back to 1912. And in this case, reference

to the context of the site was the main architectural idea,

determining the shape of the new facility. Eight preserved

hangars were adapted for exhibition purposes, while the

newly erected main building draws attention with its mod-

ern form and richness of symbolism at the same time. The

height and modular scale of the new edice were deter-

mined by the surrounding historic hangars. The building’s

composition was based on a square outline, the size of

which corresponds to the dimensions of the plan of the

historic hangar from 1929 located in the central part of

the museum complex. On a square concrete platform with

a side length of 65 m, the architects designed an edice

with a highly original shape, bringing to mind a windmill

or an airplane propeller. The interior of the three wings ac-

commodates exhibition and educational spaces, a cinema,

library, conference rooms, bistro and oces. The atecton-

ic, disjointed body of the new edice does not dominate

the historic buildings, but interacts with them. Three basic

materials were used to nish the building: architectural

concrete, aluminum and glass. Huge glazings not only add

visual lightness to the building, but also “open” the build-

ing to the park environment, blurring the division between

the indoor and outdoor parts of the exhibition (Fig. 10).

Thanks to the contextual approach, the designers of the

Polish Aviation Museum have inscribed a strongly mod-

ern, dynamic in character and austere at the same time

block in the historical buildings, creating an edice with

great potential for content and symbolism. In the words

of Kisielewski: We wanted the project to clearly relate to

the context of the city […]. The priority was […] to create

a modern form that could become a symbol of the Aviation

Museum on the contemporary cultural scene of Krakow.

The new building […] combines almost all the typological

and ideological features of the place, i.e. the very essence

of ying, the atmosphere and structure of the airport and

the fascination with the history of technology. The build-

ing has been logically and naturally integrated into the

existing complex of hangars and museum buildings [21].

Study results

The sketchy analysis of the selected objects of the lat-

est public architecture in Krakow presented above, makes

it possible to point out some common features, resulting

from the adoption of the same philosophy at the basis of the

creative process. The presented realizations were created

at a similar time and all of them are related to the sphere

of culture, but they have a strongly individual formal

character. Despite this striking dissimilarity and despite

the fact that they are works by dierent designers, from

diverse backgrounds, both Polish and foreign, they share

a common architectural idea of contextualism. At the core

of the creative method here is the need to refer to the en-

vironment. The buildings described were built in various

locations in Krakow: in the surroundings of the historic

center, in the immediate vicinity of the Vistula boulevards,

on post-factory grounds, and on the grounds of the historic

airport. All these locations are united by their historical

signicance and the need to respect and relate to the exist-

ing architecture, which is under strictly formulated legal

protection. Designing in such specic conditions, in the

immediate vicinity of the historic tissue and strict rules

for its protection, can be seen as a signicant constraint

on creative invention. At the same time, in the case of

public architecture, so clearly marking its presence in the

city space, the desired result is a building with iconic po-

tential, and therefore noticeable, architecturally attractive,

carrying a message of modernity. The need to reconcile

these two phenomena – dependence on the environment

and the ambition to create a highly original work – is the

rst creative idea common to all the described objects.

Reference to the context is implemented by architects

in several ways. The rst, and most direct, is the preserva-

tion of the existing buildings (as a whole or their elements)

and the adaptation of historic buildings for new purposes,

combined with their restoration and modernization. In all

of the presented realizations, we are dealing with the com-

bination of elements of the preserved historic architecture

and the new edice into one complex. The second way of

relating to the context of the place, less literal, is to adapt

the new buildings to the scale of the surrounding build-

ings. This is accomplished by harmonizing their heights,

divisions, or using design modules derived from historic

buildings. In addition to references of scale and divisions,

Fig. 10. Polish Aviation Museum

at 39 Jana Pawła II Avenue

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

Il. 10. Muzeum Lotnictwa

Polskiego przy

al. Jana Pawła II 39

(fot. J. Białkiewicz, 2022)

56 Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

architects also use material references (brick in the MOS

project). Moving on to increasingly metaphorical refer-

ences, another method of establishing a connection with

the environment is to take a particular motif from the ex-

isting architecture, which is creatively introduced into the

new building. An example is the shed roof in the MOCAK

project. All of the aforementioned projects are also linked

by the use of glass as a means of linking new buildings

to the context of the site. Glazing not only adds visual

lightness to the buildings, but above all acts as a kind of

connector with what is outside, fostering the blurring of

boundaries between the new edices and their surround-

ings. To some extent, contemporary buildings become

“transparent” both literally and metaphorically. Architects

symbolically allow history to be reected in the glass

panes of modernity, proving that a modern block does not

have to alienate itself, but can blend harmoniously with its

surroundings. The most non-literal and “abstract”, and at

the same time the most advanced reference to the context

is the symbolic charge of the form of the new objects. At

this stage, the creative process has already gone far be-

yond simply adapting to the site as it is seen in the concept

of optimization. In order to encode symbolic content in

architecture, an idea in the designer’s mind is necessary.

At the same time, this metaphorical charge enhances the

quality, and thus the iconic potential, of the work. Sym-

bolic references can be made on various levels. In the case

of Cricoteka, we are dealing, among other things, with the

form of the building evoking associations with the works

of Kantor and with a reference to the idea of ambalage

(the new edice “wraps”, as it were, the historic buildings

of the Podgórze power plant). In the Czapski Pavilion, the

white façade-screen can be interpreted as a blank canvas,

symbolically open to any kind of art, transferred to it by

means of modern technologies. The Aviation Museum

contains references to the idea of ying in its body. What

is appropriate for symbols, all these references are ambig-

uous and open to interpretation, leaving the viewer a great

deal of freedom in their individual search and reading.

As Ingarden writes, contextualism is neither a design

method nor an architectural style, it is a denition of the

relationship between the designed structure and its local

background [11, p. 320]. The aim of contextual architec-

ture in urban space is to inscribe itself in the continuity of

its history. The new building must “speak” in the language

of forms and meanings understood locally, as the architect

of the Małopolska Garden of Art emphasizes, the task is to

avoid semantic chaos and maintain the cultural continuity

of the place by adding and marking the presence of con-

temporary forms. Ingarden refers to this as “abstract con-

textualism” and links it to Kenneth Frampton’s “critical

regionalism”

. Adopting such a design philosophy makes

it possible to create objects that are globally modern in ex-

The denition of “critical regionalism” was developed by

K. Framp ton in the 1970s–1980s. According to Frampton, the most

interesting buildings are created at the intersection of local and global

architecture, so they are open to technological advances and at the same

time rooted in local traditions, creating a space that is understood and

approved by local communities.

pression and at the same time rooted in local tradition, and

thus acceptable in historical space. Urbańska uses the term

“sitespecic architecture” [22] or “the architecture of dia-

logue” [23] to describe the same phenomenon. Regardless

of the nomenclature adopted, the key is the attitude to the

context of the place, which is neither a passive imitation

nor an arrogant rejection of the surroundings. Contextual

architecture in the case of the above-mentioned buildings

is the architecture of interpretation, combining respect for

the genius loci and the ambition to create a valuable con-

temporary form on this basis.

Contextual philosophy – conclusions

The contextual creative philosophy in the case of the

listed public buildings is based on combining the idea of

revitalizing a place with giving the new building its icon-

ic potential. Revitalization takes place both literally by

modernizing the historic building and by giving the place

a new meaningful content and quality. The context of the

place and the associated conditions for the architect are

both the framework and the matter of the creative pro-

cess. The goal is to combine the concepts of continuation

and modication so that a completely new quality is cre-

ated. The essence of the creative method here is to treat

the site context and its accompanying formal constraints

in terms of inspiration for the liberation of an original

idea. In a context treated with respect, the architects in-

troduce modern forms, technologies and materials, giving

the whole a highly original character. In all the projects

described, the past and the present interact, with the past

becoming inspiration and material, and modernity giv-

ing history a new life and meaning. Despite being rmly

rooted in the historical context, all the projects mentioned

are characterized by originality and modernity of form.

It manifests itself in the atypical shape and layout of the

mass (especially Cricoteka, MOCAK, Aviation Museum),

the use of modern materials and technologies, or the orig-

inal treatment of traditional materials (MOS elevations).

Each time we are dealing with a modern architectural

form, which does not compete and does not dominate the

historical buildings, but ts harmoniously into it, creating

a distinctive whole. It is this combination, which is both

coherent and creates a new quality, and therefore incor-

porates both the concept of optimization and the idea of

iconic architecture, that should be considered the main

achievement of the designers of the listed edices. Con-

textualism in this sense becomes an answer to the question

of the meaning of the architect’s work in modern times,

in a situation of intensive development of technology and

articial intelligence, as well as his role in the complex

system of architectural conditions, which consists of le-

gal, nancial, environmental or social considerations. The

architectural profession is evolving away from engineer-

ing and towards concept creation. This is particularly no-

ticeable in the case of public buildings, which are required

to be noticeable and present a high quality of form. At the

same time, the form in this case cannot be freely generat-

ed by the imagination of the designer, but must take into

account a whole range of conditions. Thus, the rst task

Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy 57

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of the building designer is a multifaceted analysis of the

context of the place, followed by creating an idea on this

basis, which, carried through the concept to realization,

will give the new building iconic potential. The idea is

that which goes beyond notions of optimization and utili-

ty, giving the form a symbolic charge. What is particular-

ly important, all of the described objects have been very

well received, both in the public and in the architectural

community, as evidenced by the numerous awards given

to their creators in Poland and abroad, as well as the pleb-

iscites won

. The Małopolska Garden of Art, Cricoteka

The Małopolska Garden of Art has won more than a dozen

awards, including international ones, including ArchDaily Building of

the Year 2021, Iconic Award 2013, Platinum A’ Design Award 2014,

S.ARCH 2016 International Project Award grand prize. Cricoteka was

recognized, among others, as the best public building 2013–2014 in

the Life in Architecture competition. MOCAK won, among others, the

Philippe Rotthier European Prize of Architecture for the renovation and

transformation of a historic factory. The Polish Aviation Museum in

2012 was recognized as the world’s best public building made of archi-

tectural concrete (Cemex Building Awards).

and the Czapski Pavilion were winners of the plebiscite

Krakow – My Home in 2013, 2015 and 2016, respective-

ly, which testies to the recognition of a wide audience.

All the buildings, with the exception of the Czapski Pa-

vilion, were also nominated for the prestigious European

Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van

der Rohe Award (in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015).

In all the works described, the reinterpretation of her-

itage provides the foundation for the creation of valuable

modern forms. Thus, realized according to a contextual

philosophy, architecture seems to be the best that modern

times can introduce into the space of historical urban or-

ganisms with a rich historic tissue, such as Krakow. This

paper presents just a selection of a few cultural buildings,

and can certainly serve as a contribution to a comprehen-

sive study of the issue of contemporary public buildings

in Krakow as contextual architecture.

Translated by

Joanna Białkiewicz

58 Joanna Jadwiga Białkiewicz

Abstract

Contextualism as a contemporary architectural design philosophy.

The issue of the role of the architect based on examples of public buildings in Krakow

The paper presents the selected examples of public buildings in Krakow, constructed between 2000–2016, which gained recognition from both

local community and the architectural society. These are cultural facilities: Małopolska Garden of Arts, Centre for the Documentation of the Art of

Tadeusz Kantor Cricoteka, MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art, Józef Czapski Pavilion, and Polish Aviation Museum. The common feature for

all the described buildings is the contextual philosophy of designing. According to this philosophy, the context of place and the conditions deriving

from it (including legal protection of historic buildings and areas) are perceived not as limitations but the source of inspiration for an architectural

idea. The new building can be context-dependent on many levels, from the most literal to the metaphorical ones, both within the area of architectural

form and the symbolic meanings. Thanks to the use of contextual architectural philosophy, the new buildings are raised both valuable as a contem-

porary contribution to the urban space and also respecting its historical character and genius loci. Contextual architecture is thus the best solution for

urban spaces nowadays, especially within the historic cities with numbers of monuments protected by law, such as Krakow.

Key words: contextualism, recent architecture of Krakow, design philosophy

Streszczenie

Kontekstualizm jako współczesna lozoa projektowania.

Zagadnienie roli architekta na przykładzie obiektów użyteczności publicznej w Krakowie

W artykule przedstawiono wybrane przykłady powstałych w latach 2000–2016 krakowskich budynków użyteczności publicznej, które zyskały

uznanie wśród społeczności i w środowisku architektów. Są to ośrodki kulturalne: Małopolski Ogród Sztuki, Ośrodek Dokumentacji Sztuki T. Kanto-

ra Cricoteka, Muzeum Sztuki Współczesnej MOCAK, Pawilon Józefa Czapskiego, Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego. Cechą łączącą wszystkie opisane

budynki jest kontekstualna lozoa projektowania, która zakłada potraktowanie uwarunkowań wynikających z kontekstu miejsca (m.in. ochrona

prawna zabudowań zabytkowych i terenów historycznych) w kategorii nie ograniczeń, lecz inspiracji dla architektonicznej idei. Nawiązanie do

kontekstu miejsca odbywa się na wielu płaszczyznach, od najbardziej dosłownych do metaforycznych, zarówno w sferze formy, jak i przekazu sym-

bolicznego. Dzięki zastosowaniu lozoi kontekstualnej powstają obiekty wartościowe jako współczesny wkład w przestrzeń miasta i respektujące

jej historyczny charakter oraz genius loci. Tego rodzaju architektura jest w obecnych czasach najlepszym rozwiązaniem dla organizmów miejskich

o szczególnie bogatej tkance zabytkowej, takich jak Kraków.

Słowa kluczowe: kontekstualizm, najnowsza architektura Krakowa, lozoa projektowania