Issue 1(69)/2022

DOI: 10.5277/ARCHITECTUS

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Articles

Franciszek Hackemer - Some concerns about the Ołbin’s Portal from St. Mary Magdalene Church in Wrocław

doi:10.37190/arc220101

The article outlines the key research problems concerning the so-called Ołbiński Portal from the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Wrocław, originally from the Abbey in Ołbin. The portal is undoubtedly one of the most important works of Romanesque architectural sculpture in this part of Europe. Its original form, however, remains unknown – the present one is the result of the 16th century process of embedding the portal in a new place, after the suppression and demolition of the abbey. For inventory purposes, the author created a photogrammetric 3D model of the portal, which is also the basis for later considerations. The work contains the author’s analysis of the iconography and the present state of the portal, together with conclusions concerning the dating of its individual elements. On this basis, an illustration of the overall stratification of the consecutive construction phases of the portal was created. An attempt is also made to better understand the iconographic program of the work and to draw attention to unnoticed problems of interpretation, resulting mainly from the damage of the portal suffered as a result of being adapted in order to be built into the wall of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in 1546. The work draws attention to a number of research problems which have not been solved so far.

Keywords:

    wrocław

    ołbin

    st.-mary-magdalene-church

    portal

    photogrammetry

Artur Kwaśniewski - Prächtiges haus – festes haus: Notes on the “urban” and “country” architectural modus of the house of Wrocław patricians in the Early Modern Period

doi:10.37190/arc220102

In contemporary studies of historical architecture, the social sense and context of a work of architecture increasingly often becomes a crucial matter. From this standpoint, it is justified to define the field of study and to analyze phenomena from the perspective of the community that used the given architecture and not following the traditional approach of “architectural theme”, or “artistic genesis”. The author of this paper explores the phenomenon of residential architecture in the community of Wrocław’s patrician class during the early modern period and postulates that the relations between the urban and country patrician houses should be made a subject of study. This paper focuses on the distinctive architectural elements of these residences, as interpreted from the perspective of the messages and meanings they conveyed. The author briefly characterizes the features of urban residences (distinguishing a group of houses that embodied the formula of the “urban palace”) and country residences (pointing to the prevalence of the castle formula). The author analyzed the language of forms of the urban and country house and pointed to significant differences stemming from ideological functions that they performed: they were resplendence, artfulness, and innovation on the one hand, while on the other: flaunting a fortress-like appearance, a deliberate austerity, and an accentuation of “oldness”. The paper’s conclusions include, among others, postulates concerning the future of architectural studies that should be conducted with an awareness of the retrospective program of early modern patrician residences from around Wrocław.

Keywords:

    history-of-architecture

    silesia

    the-early-modern-period

    wrocław

    the-patriciate

Zygmunt Łuniewicz - Nil timide, nil tumide. About the oldest view of Strzelin and the finials of its towers

doi:10.37190/arc220103

The article analyzes the newly discovered veduta of Strzelin and compares the buildings visible in it with the information contained in written sources and iconography. This panorama comes from the friendship book of Brzeg clergyman Johann Christoph Letsch (* 1634, † 1686). It presents the town from the north along with a ring of fortifications, buildings and towers of architectural dominants. Below the drawing there is the inscription Nil timide, nil tumide/Bartholomeus Pilgram/Strel. Consul Ao 1653/16 7-bris, which makes it possible to identify the author of the entry as Bartholomäus Pilgram, the mayor of Strzelin in the period of November 26, 1642 – December 11, 1671. The research procedure was aimed at verifying the reliability of the iconographic message with the methods used for the analysis of iconographic materials. They included a comparison of preserved buildings,archaeological relics as well as messages in written sources and iconography. In the course of the research, it was possible to confirm that the buildings shown in the view had shapes consistent with the data contained in written sources and the preserved relics. The relative location is correct, but with some reduction in the distance between the buildings. A unique value of the veduta are the only known representations of the towers’ copulas, i.e., on St. Michael’s Church, which was probably erected in 1596 or slightly later, and above St. Gotthard’s Church – a high, two-open-work dome from 1620, a missing element of the 17th-century remodeling. The town hall tower was presented with a two-open-work copula which was erected only five years earlier, in 1648, and was previously known from descriptions only. The depiction of de-sacralized St. Cross’ Church, which was devoid of the roof and the crowning of the tower, allows us to assume that originally the building had hitherto unknown gables. The towers and fortified towers of the town walls were drawn along with ceramic covered roofs with a short ridge and attics in the condition they obtained during the remodeling carried out in the same year as the entry was made. The date on the card, i.e. September 16, 1653, allows us to make the conclusion that the discussed source is 60 years older than the earliest known iconography of Strzelin. The panorama at Pilgram’s entry, despite a certain schematic character, allows us to expand the knowledge of the town’s architecture, in spite of almost complete destruction of a significant part of its building development.

Keywords:

    strzelin

    tower-copula

    town-hall

    friendship-book

    17th-century

    iconography-of-silesia

Ulrich Schaaf, Maciej Prarat - Carpentry craft at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Case study: the roof structure of the Church of the Holy Cross in Leszno

doi:10.37190/arc220104

In 1790, a fire consumed the upper part of the Church of the Holy Cross in Leszno, which was built in the years 1711–1715. The reconstruction of the roof structure and the vaults took place in 1798–1802. It was an extremely complicated task because it was a construction spread over a rectangular body measuring 24 × 44 m with an elongated, vaulted octagon inscribed in the body. The purpose of this text is to present this complex construction. The research method consisted in the analysis of the structural system and layout, carpentry joints, building materials, their processing, and the system of carpentry assembly marks. The architectural research carried out in conjunction with the study of sources and literature on the subject enabled the reconstruction of the building history from the end of the 18th century to the 2nd half of the 20th century, and the recovery of the originally used carpentry craft. The discussed structure is a free collar beam roof structure with a hanging king post structure lying on the lower tier and a king post truss structure on the upper one. The king post was additionally supported by passing braces and braces reaching through both tiers, and the straining beam was also strengthened by additional passing braces on the lower tier. These solutions are known from the hanging and strutted frame and strut frame structures. Moreover, short tie beams were suspended from the king post or queen post structure within the inner octagon. This complex structural system required the use of various types of roof trusses, from the principal rafter truss and paired common rafter to the corner and jack-tie rafter. They also come in different varieties and variants. The results of the research may become a contribution to a broader analysis of the carpentry craft at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Keywords:

    leszno

    roof-structure

    architectural-research

    carpentry-craft

Agnieszka Gryglewska, Mateusz Rabiega - The power station of Elektrizitätswerk Schlesien AG in Siechnice. An industrial plant in the 20th century – a work of an engineer and an architect-artist

doi:10.37190/arc220105

The subject of the article is the architecture of the Tschechnitz Power Plant (currently Czechnica CHP Plant) in Siechnice near Wrocław. The plant, built during the period of intensive development of the power industry in Lower Silesia at the beginning of the 20thcentury, was the result of cooperation between an engineer and an architect-artist, postulated by architects associated with Deutscher Werkbund. The aim of this article is to present the history of the construction and development of the power plant as well as artistic shaping of the urban layout, façades, representative interiors of the machine rooms, mechanical workshops as well as facilities with an advertising function. The analysis of the history and the present condition of he complex was possible thanks to field research carried out by the authors, a query of source materials and texts in the professional press as well as iconography from the years 1910–2019. The conducted research is the basis for defining the scope of monument protection and for revitalizing the power plant, which will be closed in 2024 with regard to the policy of decommissioning coal-fired power plants in Poland.

Keywords:

    industrial-architecture-of-the-20th-century

    art

    power-station

    siechnice

    historicism

    functionalism

Klára Palánová, Ondřej Juračka - Czech cemeteries and funeral architecture – the problem of integration with urban landscape – research and design studies

doi:10.37190/arc220106

One hundred years after the first cremation, the Czech Republic is facing stagnation in the development of cemeteries, crematoria, and funeral architecture. The stagnation is caused by a low interest of both the society and the government. We carried out interviews and field research to specify the strengths and weaknesses of 20 funeral facilities (cemeteries, crematoria and ceremony and mourning halls) and to discuss new directions of development. Based on the interviews and analysis of the sites, we evaluated the needs and requirements of the current society and funeral facility operators. We also present one student work to propose how to deal with the identified weaknesses. It shows that it is very advantageous to design new facilities mixing the knowledge of the nation’s traditions, new trends, and the society’s customs. Through an innovative approach, even cemeteries that are placed outside towns may become functional parts of the landscape, for example through interconnecting several neighbouring villages and via creating new landmarks.

Keywords:

    cemeteries

    crematoria

    funeral-architecture

    burial

    land-use-planning

    mourning

Sebastian Wróblewski - The reconstruction of the late 19th century and early 20th century urban landscape – in Beirut historic centre

doi:10.37190/arc220107

In the capital of Lebanon one of the globally largest works on reconstruction of the landscape of the historical core of the city were performed. The project prepared by Solidere was a design to reconstruct the most valuable urban plan of the central district after the destruction during the Civil War. In Historical Centre of Beirut not only reconstructions but also new architecture adjusted to historical aesthetic had to be created. The main aim of article is the presentation of different approaches to spatial and architectural designs in the Lebanese capital’s historic district from the perspective of assessment of modern and reconstructed architectural quality, aesthetics of historical – the late 19th century and Art Déco influences on modern architecture and contemporary urban detail designed in the recreated historic space. The research was focused on assessment of the context architecture and value of reconstructions and adaptations of buildings in the city’s central district.

Keywords:

    beirut

    architecture

    the-19th-century

    the-20th-century

    reconstruction

    spatial-planning

Daria Bręczewska-Kulesza - “Esgrafiado segoviano” as an expression of the city’s regional tradition and identity

doi:10.37190/arc220108

The historic centre of Segovia abounds in buildings with façades entirely or partially covered with sgraffito decoration. Consistently applied and developed over the centuries, this consistent form of façade decoration has become a distinctive feature of the architecture of the city and the region.The aim of the article is to investigate Segovian sgraffito as an expression of the regional tradition and identity of the city.      During the research, historical studies were carried out on the development of the sgraffito tradition in Spain. They allowed to emphasize the distinctiveness of this form of decoration in Segovia compared to other centers. A critical analysis of literature and sources as well as architectural and conservation studies was performed. In situ tests were also carried out, during which a rich photographic material was collected, necessary for the formal analysis of the tested decorations.         The article follows the development of the sgraffito technique in Segovia against a historical background. A brief analysis of the formal decoration was carried out based on the in-situ studies carried out by the author. Subsequently, the influence of sgraffito on the cohesion of the city’s architecture was investigated. Finally, it was considered whether sgraffito could become part of the identity and business card of the city. The article focuses on the decorative function of sgraffito as part of regional architecture. After analysing the historical and contemporary aspects of the development of sgraffito in Segovia, this form of decoration can be considered as a regional phenomenon, representing a factor for the identity of the city, which, together with the aqueduct, can become the symbol of Segovia.

Keywords:

    segovia

    sgraffito

    elements-of-citys-identity

Shayan Al Zangana, Bartosz Kaźmierczak, Anna Kulig, Dominika Pazder - “Treasure in a box, a box among treasures”: promotion of cultural heritage and art outside of a museum facility. Case study of Old Town in Sulaymaniyah

doi:10.37190/arc220109

This article presents issues inherent in relations between enclosed space of a museum and open public space in view of promotion of art and cultural heritage. A museum is herein perceived as a “treasure box”, whereas public space as a venue, where the treasure can be displayed “outside of the box”. The article also focuses on methods that might expand museum functions to public space and might erase the borderlines between a museum facility and its surroundings. The research intended to present an empirical study based on an physiognomic approach. It may prove a useful tool in promoting culture and art in a cultural venue defined by the authors as a specific type of public space. The research results have been presented on the basis of a selected case study, i.e., strategies of expansion of museum functions to include therein public space, implemented within the framework of a planned urban intervention.

Keywords:

    museum

    public-space

    cultural-space

    local-heritage

    urban-intervention

    pop-up-architecture

Andrzej Sobolewski, Roman Czajka - Zachód II housing estate in Szczepin in Wrocław – a place built anew

doi:10.37190/arc220110

The Zachód II housing estate in Wrocław’s Szczepin is an example of new development created on the ruins of the former city, destroyed during World War II. Realisation of modernist urban concepts, which broke with historical patterns of shaping the urban structure on the basis of quarter and frontage buildings, completely changed the character of the western part of Wrocław. The article presents the housing estate Zachód II, built in the 1960s according to the project of the team of architects led by Witold Molicki. The new buildings are presented against a background of the historical development of Szczepin until 1939 as well as in the context of conditions of the post-war reconstruction. A contemporary assessment of the settlement must take these conditions into account, because architecture has never been created in isolation from socio-economic reality. The aim of the article is not only to present the urban and architectural masterpieces of post-war modernism, but also to draw attention to the need to protect the cultural heritage and construction of the communist period in Poland. Threats arise not only from the technical wear and tear of buildings, functional changes, etc., but also from the need to educate the public about them and to protect them. It also seems necessary to educate people and change people’s awareness in order to recognise the qualities and specificity of this architecture and to develop concepts for its modernisation andrevitalisation, while preserving the most important original ideas of its authors.

Keywords:

    wrocław

    szczepin

    housing-estate

    large-panel-construction

    modernism-in-the-architecture-of-prl

Szymon Rozalski - Protection of historical greenery in Wrocław. Investment and renovation works in Szczytnicki Park in the years 2000–2018

doi:10.37190/arc220111

Szczytnicki Park is the oldest and the largest public park in Wrocław. The assumption with an area of over 100 ha is characterized by a multipart, diverse composition resulting from a multi-phase transformation process, which lasted over 200 years. The subject of this paper is protection of historical greenery on the example of investment and renovation works implemented in Szczytnicki Park in 2000–2018. The author assumed a hypothesis that the activities of this period were mainly of conservation and intervention nature. For its verification, the author made an inventory of 45 representative works based on field, bibliographical, and iconographic analyses, but primarily on source materials collected by the Management of the Municipal Greenspace Authority in Wrocław. These works are described from the perspective of a researcher-practitioner who has been a project manager at the Management of the Municipal Greenspace Authority for many years. On the one hand, the paper synthesizes data presented in studies regarding the park, on the other hand, it broadens the knowledge on the newest implementations that have not been presented in literature so far.

Keywords:

    wrocław

    szczytnicki-park

    centennial-hall

    unesco

    historic-greenery

Agnieszka Mańkowska, Artur Zaguła - Temporary architecture in the 21st century as an expression of changes taking place in contemporary society

doi:10.37190/arc220112

The subject of the article refers to the condition of contemporary society as a factor shaping our architectural reality. The subject of the considerations is the postmodern society of the highly developed countries of the 21st century, as perceived by Zygmunt Bauman, characterized by individualism, loneliness, life in constant movement and consumerism, recognizing short-termism as a safe form of concluding all kinds of “contracts”, and contemporary temporary architecture as a response to this kind of social need. This article, based on a study of selected cases, presents the proposed typology of contemporary temporary architecture, which, together with the analysis of various relations between this phenomenon and the needs of a postmodern society, leads to an attempt to distinguish postmodern temporary architecture.

Keywords:

    temporary-architecture

    pop-up

    postmodernity

    liquid-modernity

    contemporary-society