Issue 1(73)/2023

DOI: 10.5277/ARCHITECTUS

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Articles

Małgorzata Chorowska, Roland Mruczek - Silesian landscape with a castle in the background. A Wrocław donjon of the prince-crusader

doi:10.37190/arc230101

The article is an attempt at outlining the cultural landscape of Silesia in times of breakthrough, in the 2nd and 3rd thirds of the 12th century, which was seen through the prism of studies on the early patronage of the Silesian Piasts. The symbol of deep transformations – apart from colonization and rental economy – became the then brick architecture of Lombard genesis, which north of the Alps was connected with Italian aspirations and the imperial power of the Hohenstaufen’s dynasty (1154–1186).     The purpose of this work is to present the genesis of the innovative brick eighteen-sided donjon of the princely castle in Ostrów Tumski in Wrocław against the background of the journey of Bolesław I the Tall (exile years: 1146–1163) as well as political, economic, and legal transformations which he initiated in Silesia in the first decades of melioratio terrae (rule years: 1163–1201). That time, which was initially dominated by the Piast conflict with magnates and then by the first successful economic and settlement experiments, preceded widely known in source literature huge architectural and urban investments of European momentum undertaken by his son Henry the Bearded (1201–1238). This work is based on archaeological and architectural research results and analyses of the selected existing tower objects, mainly European, as well as on historical sources.     The brick Wrocław donjon is a manifesto of power of Prince Bolesław I the Tall returning from the exile who regained the main gords of the province with difficulty (1163/1166). Similarly to numerous early French and English towers, it was an innovative experimental building but it did not have any direct formal imitations. In the search for its genesis, it is appropriate to refer to Lombard brick models, among which Milan’s defensive walls, which were destroyed after a long siege in the years 1161–1162, can be of great importance. In 1163 Bolesław I the Tall returned to the country from a long exile and initiated a “brick breakthrough” in fragmented Poland. It constituted one of the stages of the great “brick revolution” north of the Alps, which was initiated by the Hohenstaufen’s Italian policy.     Currently, the remaining cross-braced collar beam roof structures over both arms of the transept and chancel of the cathedral in Kamień Pomorski are included in the architectural research. A wider study on this type of mediaeval roof structures, and attempts to compare the roof structures of the Kamień Pomorski cathedral against a broader background are desirable in the future.

Keywords:

    silesia

    middle-ages

    wrocław

    castle

    donjon

    residential-tower

    archeology

Maciej Piekarski - Topography of the 18th-century Rzeszów and its relics in the contemporary architectural and urban space of the city

doi:10.37190/arc230102

One of the icons of Rzeszów is the 18th-century perspective view of the city, known as the Wiedemann plan. The view shows the buildings and topography of the city, which was then surrounded by a system of ponds and backwaters. All representative buildings have been preserved to this day, although in slightly changed forms. Ponds and backwaters do not exist.     The study described in the article was aimed at finding traces of the shores of these water reservoirs in the modern topography of the city, which is very much transformed. Maps and aerial photographs from the times when traces of the 18th-century topography were more visible were used for this purpose. The content of cartographic sources was used by overlaying digital versions of maps: historical and current, calibrating the image using a pair of points belonging to two distant objects with unchanged shapes. The information contained in the photograph was verified by making analogous geometric constructions on the photograph and on the current map. The culmination of the study was an in-situ reconnaissance. Many still clear traces of the former topography were found in the area, which may be imperceptible to an outside observer.     The obtained results introduce a correction to the Wiedemann’s plan, which mapped the spatial structure of the city partly incorrectly. They supplement the knowledge base about Rzeszów, which does not sufficiently cover spatial and urban issues. They draw attention to the ignored element of the urban cultural landscape, which is the topography, often insufficiently protected.

Keywords:

    urban-planning

    rzeszów

    heritage-protection

    topography

Agnieszka Chęć-Małyszek - Analysis of the original functional layouts of neo-Gothic sacral architecture in the Lublin Voivodeship

doi:10.37190/arc230103

Historicising architecture in sacral construction was considered insignificant, as it did not have many typical and unique elements. However, it fulfilled a very important function, and despite the passage of time, neo-Gothic religious architecture still communicates it in its form, essence, theoretical principles and the function for which it was created.     In this article, neo-Gothic churches in the Lublin Voivodeship are examined, paying special attention to the most prolific creator of this trend, Józef Pius Dziekoński. The aim of the paper is to comparatively analyse Lublin churches from the neo-Gothic period, specifying their purposes, meaning and characteristic features of the functional system. The work presents the historical and ideological context, determining the nature and role of the discussed sacral buildings.     The research method applied here consists of a comparative analysis of neo-Gothic religious buildings selected from all religious buildings in the Lublin Voivodeship. The most typical features of individual buildings and their functions have been identified. The research results, presented in descriptive form and figures, have allowed interesting conclusions to be formulated.     All the existing neo-Gothic churches in the region represent a new type of buildings, but simultaneously have their own individual style. They serve as Christian churches, satisfying human spiritual, emotional and social needs. Characteristic tall slender towers distinguish these sacred places, as well as being dominant accents in the landscape of the Lublin Voivodeship.

Keywords:

    church

    sacred-architecture

    neo-gothic

    neo-gothic-architecture

    lublin-voivodeship

Tomasz Jakub Trzupek - Continuation of the typology of the structures of Nadświdrzańska architecture in contemporary realizations

doi:10.37190/arc230104

The subject of the article is Nadświdrzańska architecture, commonly known as Świdermajer, and the architecture referred to as Neo-świdermajer, i.e. new buildings appearing in the discussed region and referring to historical architecture. The aim was to present the most characteristic type of shaping historical forms and to prove that contemporary buildings continue these systems. A typological comparative analysis of solid systems was used for this purpose. The text presents the genesis of the phenomenon, the state of research, typology and drawings showing the most characteristic elements of the discussed architecture (verandas and decorative formwork profiles), lists of projections of historical and contemporary buildings and boards juxtaposing the solids of Nadświdrzańska architecture and Neo-świdermajer.     On the basis of the presented material, it can be concluded that the theses regarding the variety of ways of shaping solids in the historical architecture and the assumption of the possibility of distinguishing dominant types of shaping solids have been confirmed. New architecture can be assigned to specific typologies of historical buildings. Thus, this work begins a scientific reflection on a new phenomenon, which is Neo-świdermajer.

Keywords:

    nadświdrzańska-architecture

    świdermajer

    neo-świdermajer

    typology

Tomasz Głowacki - The architecture of absence. The phenomenon that became a standard

doi:10.37190/arc230105

The phenomenon of the architecture of absence refers to a growing trend in designing buildings/objects/space, involving minimal visual interference with the surroundings or even its complete absence. Based on the analysis of examples mainly from the contemporary realizations, the work distinguishes and describes various ways (categories) of creating the architecture of absence, which ultimately define its typology. It includes the following categories: 1) translocation, 2) artificial topography, 3) camouflage and illusion, 4) temporariness and mobility, 5) super-transparency, 6) dematerialization.     The architecture of absence is a way of seeking balance in an increasingly overcrowded and built-up world, in which green and artifact-free areas are radically shrinking. With its withdrawal and disappearance, it pays respect to nature and heritage, the natural and cultural environment in which it is created. By freeing the horizon, it is a visually non-invasive response to the declining urban space and architectural disorder.

Keywords:

    architecture

    absence

    disappearance

    invisibility

    dematerialization

Jacek Wesołowski - Łódź Fabryczna Railway Station – a progress or regress in railway architecture?

doi:10.37190/arc230106

The radical rebuilding of Fabryczna Railway Station in Łódź, one of the biggest railway projects of post-1989 Poland, has for years raised a lot of controversy – as much on the planning stage as after the opening, if not more. Some are rash and superficial judgements, resulting from not considering the conditions and aims of the project, while others are invariably true. Yet other aspects of the project seem entirely absent from the public debate. One thing is certain: the station is unfinished and does not function as expected. Five years have almost passed since it opened and it’s a good time to attempt a calm critique, backed by the usage experience. For this purpose, reference was made to the original visions of the railway system and initial design concepts, and an in-situ analysis of the facility was performed. The conclusions were confronted with professional publications. As a result, one gets the impression that the object is halfway between modernism and postmodernism. On the one hand, it develops a spatial vision that properly relocates car traffic to the outskirts of the city centre, and on the other – it hinders the creation of an attractive urban space with poorly shaped frontages, rejection of greenery as an architectural material and overscaling of road infrastructure. On the one hand, it introduces the iconic motif of the entrance, while on the other, it violates the historical compositional axis. This is accompanied by many functional shortcomings, and above all, the unused potential of a large usable area. The roots of this lie in the changing concepts – both at the level of the vision of the railway system implemented by the state and of the urban layout, which is the domain of the city.

Keywords:

    łódź-fabryczna-station

    railway-stations

    railway-station-architecture

    railway-station-urban-context

    overall-roof

Jacek Wesołowski - The role of architectural design in industrial heritage interpretation – the case of Wójtowski Młyn in Łódź

doi:10.37190/arc230107

The article presents possible design strategies that can be used concerning industrial heritage on the example of Wójtowski Młyn in Łódź. In particular, the possibilities of using the narrative role of architecture in the context of tangible and intangible cultural heritage have been outlined.     The considerations are based on the results of a semester project carried out at the Department of History of Architecture, Revitalization and Conservation of Monuments of the Łódź University of Technology, the subject of which was the proposal of an architectural intervention aimed at telling the complex history of construction, as well as maintaining the unique atmosphere of the place. The biggest challenge was the discrepancy between the building’s rich past and its current state and architectural expression.     The design proposals allowed for several interesting observations regarding design strategies, i.e. history and heritage as a source of inspiration; the atmosphere of the place as a subject of protection; the role and appropriateness of building materials in the interpretation of industrial heritage as well as the process of educating future architects and preparing them for the creative use of post-industrial heritage with respect for its cultural values.

Keywords:

    industrial-heritage

    palimpsest

    heritage-interpretation

    architectural-narrative

Magdalena Sulima - Protection of wooden architecture monuments and the cultural heritage of Polish Tatars (on the example of the Bohoniki Cultural Park and the landscape park in Kruszyniany)

doi:10.37190/arc230108

The article discusses the symbolism and richness of the culture of the Polish Tatars living in the villages of Bohoniki and Kruszyniany, located in Podlaskie Province. The centuries-old tradition, as well as the customs cultivated and maintained to this day by the Tatar population, are a treasure trove of the history of times past and undeniable proof of the existence of genius loci. Despite the unique architectural and cultural values presented by both villages and the fact that the mosques and mizars located there are included in the national list of monuments and have been recognized as monuments of history, the cultural landscape of the villages is exposed to changes and distortions as a result of the industrial investments planned here. These activities will undoubtedly negatively affect the image of the village, both spatially, naturally and socially. One of the ways of protecting Tatar culture has become the creation of a cultural park in Bohoniki, the purpose of which is to strengthen the protection of monuments located in its area, as well as to consolidate the village’s tourist potential. In turn in Kruszyniany, the creation of industrial poultry farms is to be prevented by the establishment of a landscape park, whose priority will be both the protection of the surrounding nature of the Knyszyn Forest, as well as the protection of the multicultural heritage of the village. The text also addresses legal issues of protection from the perspective of the regulations on the functioning of the cultural and landscape park, as well as describing the actions taken in this regard by the residents themselves, local authorities and conservation services. The aim of the text is to draw attention to the problem of comprehensive protection of monuments and cultural heritage of the Polish Tatars in the context of modern civilization transformations and related landscape changes.

Keywords:

    tatars

    cultural-heritage

    protection

    cultural-park

    landscape-park

Fikret Bademci - Historical wooden-pillared Kenan Dede Yanik mosque – restoration proposal

doi:10.37190/arc230109

In addition to their historical value, wooden-pillared mosques are important in terms of their construction technique and use of materials. These buildings document the development of mosque architecture. In wooden-pillared mosques, which are few in number, wood comes to the fore not only as a load-bearing material but also as the material of building elements and decorations. In addition to door and window joinery, the minaret, pulpit, mihrab and lectern are also made of wood in mosques with wooden poles.     Located in Konya Province of Turkey, Kenan Dede Yanık Mosque is also a wooden pillared building. The building, which has seen some repairs and restorations in the historical process, was damaged by fire and was rebuilt. This study has been prepared in order to restore the current state of this wooden pillared mosque, which also has historical value after reconstruction. In the study, a literature review about the building was made and the current state of the mosque was documented by photographing. The deterioration of the construction was determined and a restoration proposal was developed.

Keywords:

    kenan-dede-yanık-mosque

    wooden-pillar-mosque

    islamic-architecture

    restoration

Artur Kwaśniewski - How should we analyse historical works of architecture, urban planning, garden design etc. An original methodology proposal for planning conservation, adaptation and promotion, as well as academic teaching

doi:10.37190/arc230110

This paper presents an original methodology of analysing the heritage value of historical buildings, which can be useful both for structures, as well as urban, garden and landscape layouts. The methodology is based on treating analysis as a study of cause-and-effect chains: direct dependencies between a heritage site’s matter, its values and their postulated conservation. The proposed method of heritage site value analysis covers three stages of reasoning: collecting resources and determinants – their assessment based on objectivised criteria – formulating conclusions that solely communicate the necessity, feasibility and potential procedures to be applied to the monument to conserve its values and expose its features. The author presents a method that allows for accounting for all environmental aspects that are essential in planning the conservation and adaptive reuse of heritage sites and presents the suitability of the method in the academic education of future architects, urbanists and planners.

Keywords:

    methodology-of-historic-architecture-research

    historic-structure-reports

    analysing-the-heritage-value

    education-in-architecture

Agnieszka Kurkowska - Bionic relations as features of the author’s original concept of biomorphic plastic forms that belong to a place

doi:10.37190/arc230111

The article concerns the search for an architectural formula for living organically in the area of Pojezierze Kaszubskie [the Kashubian Lake District]. The original project consisted in creating a series of biomorphic plastic forms that belong to the place. In this way, a set of alternative solutions was created in the form of small clay sculptures that account for bionic relationships between the newly created cultural elements (dedicated to the place) and natural elements (characteristic of the analyzed area). The project assumed a specific method of creative and research work. The method consisted in a repeated process of sketching (with the use of natural elements encountered in the lake district), followed by sculpting and placing the sculptures. It led to gathering a collection of documentary photographs that record the successive attempts to place cultural objects in a natural context. Thanks to the photos, further solutions can be put together and compared. A kind of catalog was created to prove a strong bionic affinity of forms, common to all the created sculptures. The sculptures in specific “layouts” are attuned to the existing place; they enter a “dialogue” with it. The catalog can be used as research material, but also as a tool to contemplate the relationship between objects and places “supplemented” by them.

Keywords:

    bionics

    home

    kashubia

    natural-context

    habitation

Ujal Abbasli, Güneş Mutlu Avinç, Semra Arslan Selçuk - A parametric design offering affordances for the children of digital world: playground inspired by Voronoi

doi:10.37190/arc230112

Playing is one of the most important tools for children to explore his/her connection with the world. The role of play is very significant in children’s physical, psychological, mental, and social development. However, today two major facts keep children in more indoors slowing down/weakens the establishment of this connection. The first is industrialized cities and the second is the digital world. Thus, to motivate children to return to outdoor play and playgrounds, engaging and attractive play experience should be created for them. It can be claimed that traditional playgrounds do not meet the needs of today’s children. This paper examines the role of bio-morphology in designing modern and creative playgrounds that could meet the needs of today’s children. This study claims that, the colors, patterns, forms and structures in nature can provide new approaches to design of novel playgrounds for today’s children. Biomorphic design approach can offer forms and structures that may create “affordances” for children of digital age. Through this hypothesis, the examination of Voronoi diagrams into the design process of playground with digital design tools a playground was designed, discussed within the context of creating “affordances” for children and final designs was subjected to expert evaluations.

Keywords:

    biomorphic

    playground-for-children

    affordances

    parametric-design