Issue 4(64)/2020

DOI: 10.5277/ARCHITECTUS

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Articles

Karolina Jaklewicz - Lyonel Feininger – parallel spaces

doi:10.37190/arc200401

At the Faculty of Architecture of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus School foundation, a research and teaching project, which was inspired by creative activities of the Bauhaus lecturers and the teaching methodology practiced by this university, was implemented. One of the founders and lecturers of the Bauhaus was Lyonel Feininger – a graphic artist, illustrator, painter, and constructor. The artist spent his summer vacation in today’s Mrzeżyno near Trzebiatów several times (West Pomeranian Voivodeship). Feininger immortalized many monuments, town views, and landscapes that are now within the borders of Poland in his sketches and on canvas. This article is about Feininger’s life in the context of the political changes that took place in the 1930s, about travelling to the Baltic Sea, and about a unique artistic language. The author draws special attention to architectural themes which constitute the main axis of Feininger’s painting and drawing studies. The unique way of painting architecture is permanently fixed in the history of contemporary art. It also presents activities of the Trzebiatów Cultural Centre which is currently the most dynamic centre in Poland popularizing the heritage of Feininger’s art.

Keywords:

    lyonel-feininger

    bauhaus

    art

    architecture

Radosław Balcerzak - Contrasting colors in W. Kandinsky’s theory of colors as an element of contemporary architecture

doi:10.37190/arc200402

The aim of the article is to draw attention to the need for skillful use of color in architecture. On the basis of W. Kandinski’s study Concerning the Spiritual in Art, the Bauhaus approach to color was briefly presented. Then, using an abstract painting composition which did not represent specific shapes or themes and subjecting it to changes of the color relations, an attempt was made to verify and confirm the thoughts formulated by Kandinsky. It was the author’s intention that the presented illustrations and the accompanying comments should present the issues under discussion clearly and, if possible, objectively, with a focus on the use of color in contemporary architecture.

Keywords:

    bauhaus

    architecture

    color

Katarzyna Słuchocka - Architectural notations

doi:10.37190/arc200403

The article presents the processes involved in the perception of architecture, including the sensory processes inherent in the differentiation of features of facilities (colour, form, size, texture, temperature, etc.) which imply a cognitive dialogue between space and its user. Existential space deemed as a designator of basic living conditions and comfort assumes another meaning in the cognitive context, where it constitutes a basic component of larger forms which expand by annexing individual components within its structure to address and meet the most vital needs of man.     The research aims to highlight the important function of space represented in images. Such images then play certain roles in our verbal communication, which is predetermined with the nature of the portrayed space, and as such translates into the quality of the picture/drawing/image itself. An architectural facility perceived as a piece of art underlies the form of its representation/imaging and strengthens the relations between particular space or a part thereof and its user. Irrespectively of the degree of emotional saturation existing between the designer and the context, the image of space (space imaging) attracts the viewers’ attention to the qualities, details or phenomena closely correlated with particular places. The process of transforming independent ideas of the author into the artistic expression effectively reveals the purposefulness of the application of the cognitive approach which allows for self-corrections of the design processes. Such an approach simultaneously demonstrates correlations between engineering and fine arts.     An image of an architectural facility can be a source of extensive information thereon and, in the form of design documentation, it can further, testify to individual approaches of the globally renowned leaders in the field and evidence the interdisciplinary nature of the profession of an architect. Therefore, the communicative and educative values of such images need to be particularly exposed and protected. As such they should rank higher both in the design process and collections of works classified as our national heritage.     The adopted research methods consist in the observations and the analysis of hand-made drawings and pictorials combined with the heuristic approach to architectural designing. This methodology assumes that the selection of observations made in the specific conditions of perception of architecture and its designing transposed upon autonomous artistic activities in fine arts in relation to a specific goal – being the optimisation of architectural output – will define the efficiency of interdependencies and correlations between the input data and, thus, will form a logical continuum, which implies the compliance with the guidelines discussed herein.

Keywords:

    architecture-imaging

    object

    work-of-art

Radosław Achramowicz - Twin disciplines: architecture and design

doi:10.37190/arc200404

The subject of the article is the issue of the interdisciplinary nature of architecture in the context of a twin discipline – industrial design. The work presents three main areas of overlapping of these two areas. The first of the analyzed areas has an economic dimension and focuses on the creative industry and related concepts, it also introduces the very definition of design in the context of architecture. The second area indicates the educational context of training architects and designers. This part of the article focuses on a national dimension, but outlines the international background, referring to universities or departments where interdisciplinary knowledge in various design fields is integrated. Finally, the third area focuses on new digital tools that designers adapt to creative work. This section introduces new design and production methods, supported by examples of contemporary architectural and design objects. There, and in the summary, the horizon of possibilities and threats resulting from the application of these techniques was outlined. The common element for the undertaken analyzes is the assumption of a holistic approach to the architect’s profession, i.e., an architect who is understood not only as a specialist in a narrow field, but as an artist incorporating various areas of design into his own practice. The author believes and presents the view that the resulting interdisciplinarity of practice, synthetic perception of the world and openness to enriching the design workshop is aimed at a permanent (although informal in Polish conditions) combination of architecture and industrial design into one discipline.

Keywords:

    interdisciplinarity

    design

    aesthetics

    education

Beata Juchniewicz - FREESPACE at the 16th Architecture Biennale in Venice and the assumptions of the Bauhaus – innovation and tradition in the changing world of events

doi:10.37190/arc200405

The aesthetic heritage of the Bauhaus still has a strong influence on the shaping of the face of contemporary architecture. Especially in view of its relationship with art. The question of the character of these creative relationships in the search for a definition of architecture is still on the map. The article explores this theme by comparing important paradigms of the Bauhaus school with the contemporary opinions of architects and artists who took part in the 16th Freespace Architecture Biennale in Venice in 2018. Selected exhibitions were discussed and briefly presented in the paper. Thanks to this, it was illustrated how today architecture looks for interesting solutions in cooperation with art, and the creators turn out to follow the paths previously undertaken by the Bauhaus, both in terms of aesthetic and meaningful activities. At the same time, it was shown how innovation and tradition change themes and discover new aspects of architecture in its subsequent historical versions.

Keywords:

    architecture-biennale

    bauhaus

    aesthetics

    innovation

    tradition

Krzysztof Mycielski - Do the Bauhaus ideas fit into Polish reality of the 21st century? The influence of the works of Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe on contemporary projects on the example of buildings designed by Grupa 5 Architekci

doi:10.37190/arc200406

The aim of the article is to analyse design solutions and ideas present in Bauhaus architecture that can be observed today in Polish design practice. The analysis has been narrowed down to selected works of Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe by juxtaposing them with the designs of the Warsaw studio Grupa 5 Architekci, a representative of the middle generation of architects who dominate the Polish architectural market today. The analysis leads to the conclusion that even directly inspired by motifs taken from the projects of the creators of Bauhaus, today is not accompanied by the ideological arbitrariness characteristic of the avant-garde era.

Keywords:

    bauhaus

    walter-gropius

    mies-van-der-rohe

    grupa-5

    design-practice

Tomasz Trzupek - Images of an architectural idea in the works of JEMS Architekci on the example of the exhibition on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the studio’s activity against the background of the creative activity of selected representatives of Bauhaus

doi:10.37190/arc200407

The subject of this article is a comparative analysis of functions of the painting works of Bauhaus representatives with the themes of architecture (with particular focus on the profiles of Farkas Molnár, Aleksander Schawinski and Ludwik Mies van der Rohe) with the role of the paintings presented at the exhibition on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the JEMS Architekci studio. The purpose of this article is to show the continuity and the need to use images as a carrier of an architectural idea and to emphasize the topicality of the works of representatives of the 20th century avant-garde. The contemporary role of image in architecture goes beyond the general way of using images in the Bauhaus. The image of architecture was mainly oriented towards the architecture to be created and in the case of the above-mentioned exhibition, it may be an attempt at self-reflection and assessment of the direction of one’s own aspirations.

Keywords:

    drawing

    painting

    bauhaus

    jems

Borys Siewczyński - Exalted craftsmen 4.0

doi:10.37190/arc200408

The article attempts to confront contemporary BIM ideas and conditions of integrated design and virtualization of the digital design environment with the Bauhaus ideas and to capture possible similarities, discrepancies, unchanging elements – resulting from the very nature of the design process or the human nature of “craftsmen” – designers and artists – interdisciplinary co-creating architectural works in the contemporary reality of construction 4.0. It has been shown that interdisciplinary design supported by digital technologies can naturally become a practical implementation of the idea of Gropius. It was pointed out that by learning mutual respect, improving the organizational, technical, and coordination skills of project teams, we have a chance to still notice and appreciate the importance of the essential element – Gropius’ inspiration – an artistic spark that is often neglected in the contemporary technicized reality. By showing the timeless role of design graphics as an indispensable element of the design process, the topicality of the Bauhaus teaching was emphasized.

Keywords:

    bim

    design-graphic

    integrated-design

    construction-4.0

Jan Szot - Application of live-link solutions in the architect’s practice and the Bauhaus heritage

doi:10.37190/arc200409

The article presents the possibilities offered by live-link solutions in an architect’s workshop. The point of reference was both the current design practices and the model of creative processes formed by the Bauhaus. The study analyzed the possibilities of using new technologies at the stage of forming the conceptual body of the building and creating a visualization of the designed object.     Tests related to the conceptualization of the building were carried out using computational methods coupled with the BIM environment (Building Information Modeling) on the example of a working model prepared for the purpose of the study. Information flow and the possibility of working on several tools in real time are presented, which is a significant improvement in the verification of various formal variants. In addition to laboratory considerations not embedded in real conditions, an example of an already completed building was given, in which the described methods played a key role in the formation of the body. The validity and utilitarian nature of selected Bauhaus assumptions in the described processes have also been demonstrated.     In the case of visualization, the BIM environment and real-time image rendering engines were combined. The simple form of the building, prepared in the first research trial, was placed in a graphic environment enabling efficient performance of representations of the designed space. The emphasis here is on the role of the designer’s workshop and theoretical knowledge in achieving the highest quality effects, which also allows for the correlation of the attitudes of an architect – craftsman and architect – artist in the Bauhaus era and today.     The result of the tests carried out is the conclusion that the architect, despite the intensified digitization, cannot lose the qualities of an artist and craftsman sanctioned by the Bauhaus. Attention was also paid to the influence of technological possibilities on the forms of buildings, which was also noticeable in the Weimar school, which saw in the machine an ally and a creative medium. The development of technologies and digital tools introduces previously unknown creative possibilities, but their full implementation cannot take place without the architect’s attributes such as craftsmanship or artistic sense.

Keywords:

    live-link

    grasshopper

    bim

    visualization

Anna Cudny - Development of the competences of the future through architectural education

doi:10.37190/arc200410

In the face of ongoing research on determining the competences of the future, architects are faced with the need to remodel both the way the profession is performed and how it is taught. The article presents the division of architectural education according to the characteristics of the action taken. Subsequently, the competences of the future were compared with the form of teaching taken from non-formal architectural education and an attempt was made to assign the set of a “competence + educational form” to the learning outcomes specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of July 18, 2019 on the standard of education preparing for the architectural profession to check whether they can also be achieved by non-standard methods. The text formulates proposals for changes that can be introduced as part of the current system of education at the design faculties of universities and the tasks they face in the context of shaping the competences of the future.

Keywords:

    future-competences

    architectural-education

    architectural-thinking

    lifelong-learning

Mirosław Orzechowski - Between a dot, a line and a stain – a few remarks on architectural education based on the disciplines of art

doi:10.37190/arc200411

This article discusses the proposals for implementing artistic disciplines into architectural design at the stage of master’s studies. The aim of referring to the active participation of art in the creation of architecture is to search for its constantly renewable expression, the sense of the main ideas shaping architecture. In order to show the background, references to the past are made, to the time of the Bauhaus which as a creative movement pointed to art as an essential part of architectural creation. When creating and observing the teaching of artistic disciplines at the Faculty of Architecture of Warsaw University of Technology, significant changes can be noticed. The idea of a strictly defined designing method based on the disciplines of art is discussed. Presenting the method used and the experience derived from it, we hope for its dissemination. The conclusions from the research constitute a significant part. In artistic education conducted in the indicated way, purely workshop issues lose their significance, while more emphasis is placed on the ability to synthesize thoughts as a record and transmission of information in artistic forms, painting, graphics, sculpture, collage. At the same time, we observe how the introduced artistic activities help in opening new creative areas in education in the field of architectural and urban design.

Keywords:

    architecture

    art

    education

    architectural-design

Michał Suffczyński - Between a dot, a line and a stain – a few remarks on architectural education based on the disciplines of art

doi:10.37190/arc200412

This article discusses the function of structural drawing in architectural works as a method of depicting space according to the laws of vision and perspective, as well as about its role in the education of architects. The definition of structural drawing refers to the arrangement of material elements in space and their visual representation. The paper presents the educational experience of the Warsaw School of Drawing in the environment of the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology in relation to the teaching tradition at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Bauhaus. It also shows methods of graphic representation of existing as well as designed architectural forms. The comparative analysis of the methods of depiction in the formation and transformation processes from the 20th century takes into account both the external aspect of depicted objects and also their spatial relations. The resulting conclusions concern the impact of the educational heritage of the École des Beaux-Arts and Bauhaus on the methods of presenting space by graduates of the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology and the differences characterizing the above-mentioned universities.

Keywords:

    structural-drawing

    warsaw-school-of-drawing

    bauhaus

    école-des-beaux-arts

Barbara Siomkajło, Dorota Łuczewska - Drawing and painting practices as an element of the program of educating the awareness and artistic competences of architects versus educational ideas of the Bauhaus

doi:10.37190/arc200413

The study concerns the role of educating future architects, their awareness and artistic competences in relation to the ideas and educational solutions of the Bauhaus. Despite the fact that 100 years have passed since this artistic school foundation and there were only 14 years of its activity, we can still find current elements of the ideas formulated by W. Gropius in the educational processes conducted by art schools all over the world. They refer to the concept of unity of all arts with particular emphasis on architecture and the method of education leading to stimulation and development of creative possibilities in students. The study discusses one of the elements of basic art education at the Faculty of Architecture of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, which are drawing and painting practices. Their special importance in preparing students for independent design by developing their creative imagination is discussed. An important role in these processes is performed by the direct contact with elements of the environment, emphasized by the Bauhaus, and the mastery of the basics of perception of space as well as the methods of its recording in the plein air conditions of an intensified educational process.

Keywords:

    bauhaus

    art-education

    architectural-studies

    plein-air/drawing-and-painting-practice

Krzysztof Koszewski - Modern visual practices in architecture and architectural didactics

doi:10.37190/arc200414

The paper contains reflections on the place of architectural images in modern visual culture. This analysis is conducted in the context of Bauhaus postulates, indicating the need to reinterpret them and include the role of modern visual culture as a crucial element determining the message of architectural ideas. The analysis makes a reference to the phenomenon of reverse retrospection – a mechanism of transferring semantic associations typical for photographs to the sphere of architectural message. The purpose of this paper is to indicate conclusions resulting from the aforementioned analyses, which can be applied in modern architectural didactics.     The reflections were supported by survey research on the visual awareness of first-years’ students of architecture. The presented findings were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively, and their interpretation was included as well.     Finally, conclusions on teaching architecture were drawn, i.e. when complementing and reinterpreting the Bauhaus heritage, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the ability to create an adequate and clear visual message, but also to the ability to critically evaluate the language of images and being aware of possible scenarios and schemas of their functioning. Independently of the designers’ intentions, the created message becomes an element of a pictorial ensemble of modern culture, which, acting as a feedback loop, has an impact on both architecture itself and, in particular, on the possibilities of realising a particular concept. In this context the author considers the discussed issues to be extremely important and worth further research, both from the point of view of the architectural didactics and the profession of architect.

Keywords:

    architectural-didactics

    architectural-images

    visual-message-in-architecture

    bauhaus

Editors - Professor Olgierd Czerner (1929–2020)

doi:10.37190/arc200415

With a feeling of great sorrow, we received the sad news of the death of Professor Olgierd Czerner, our valued lecturer dedicated to the protection of architectural heritage. During his long 90-year life, the Professor collaborated with many people and he was actively involved in the scientific work on monuments of Silesia. He combined the profession of an architect with research activities, specializing in the history of architecture, conservation of architectural monuments and urban planning as well as museography. (…)

Keywords: