Why research – how to research. Comments on the methodology of contemporary historical and architectural studies and on their application in the adaptation of historic buildings

Artur Kwaśniewski

doi:10.5277/arc190101

Abstract

The article presents the issue of the quality of architectural history research in Poland. According to the author, two types of research can be distinguished. “Cognitive” reaserch work is conducted as part of the activities of academic centers and is usually evaluated by the scientific community, the “business” one is conducted as part of a commercial assignment related to conservation and adaptation and usually without any scientific verification. Postulating the need for standardization of architectural history research, the author formulates, as a model, the instructions that are valid in the Czech Republic and respected by architectural historians and conservators. He proposes his own standard of content and layout of the research report and methodical analysis of historic values. In the article, the author indicates the key meaning of the term “context”. If historical contexts are not understood (social, functional, landscape etc.), than it is not possible to understand the genesis and sense of the building and its real value.