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The paper analyses the issues of Bratislava’s industrial heritage that are related to urban planning, addressing the inappropriateness of many locations chosen historically for development of industry. The objective is to identify less obvious factors that have impact on optimal development of formerly industrial zones, and explain why consideration of a broader urban structure is crucial for the assessment of any situation occurring within it, including the endeavour for heritage conservation or sustainable re-us...

The research on communication on food packages of fresh and very fresh consumer products is the topic of a group of researchers from the Department of Architecture Sciences of the University of Genoa. The proposed theme is well suited to the problems of applied research, which investigate the relationships among design, communication and users; specifically, it focuses on the analysis of a specific food sector, namely that of rapidly perishable products, with the aim of examining in-depth features, constraints and...

The philosophy of a housing estate adapted to the needs of the recipient is not new to the modern planners. Architects and developers alike have noted the need to humanize urban spaces – although they do not adequately benefit from habitat knowledge and experiences, the topicality of which has grown over the years. The modern housing structure requires a rethinking of the way public spaces are created and the responses to the everchanging needs of the inhabitants. The article includes the answers to the qualitativ...

The parking problem, as well as congestion of cities and environmental pollution is the result of urbanization and motorization process. A car is the basic means of transport for many residents. Unfortunately, it takes up space: in the workplace, at the place of residence, at a shop and at school. There is a big divergence between the needs of motorized residents and the city's grounds potential. Meeting the residents' parking needs, in line with their expectations seems impossible. The aim of the article is to an...

Towards the end of the 19th century, the international affirmation of Romania as a unitary state by acquiring its independence from the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the constitutional monarchy, coincided with the proclamation of the autocephaly of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Within all Romanian countries, each of them with different architectural expressions and traditions, a "central" manifest, a spiritual connection between all Romanians, a unitary architectural style was required. Contrary to the E...

Animal representation can be traced back to the very first examples of parietal and rock art. Animal symbolism in the Arts parallels the development of humankind. Figurative visual expression and ornament were used throughout the period furniture styles. Furniture design is dominated today by the so called “minimalist expression”, which stands mainly for the elimination of the figurative and of the ornament. Nevertheless, as we enter the third decade of 21’st century, there are numerous signs of a figurative comeb...

The instauration of a worldwide urban condition has gone together with a deep innovation in the mapping and data techniques of representation in the last two decades. The paper focuses on the relations between these two sets from the point of view of the urban planner and designer. The method of handling these topics starts from elementary research operations, such as collecting and comparing a series of representations, drawings, diagrams, and schemes about regional patterns of urbanization in European territorie...

The paper describes the history and the stylistic choices adopted in the construction of Palazzo Ronzani in Bologna, which was the first building to rise after the heavy demolitions carried out in the historical center of the city at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1910, the local administration adopted a Detailed Plan to change the aspect of the city, as it was already happening in the main European capitals. In this context, starting from 1911, the architect and scenographer Gualtiero Pontoni designed...

The transformation of the former barracks areas is a long-term topic not only in Slovakia but also abroad. Their role and value change over time in cities. The current cultural and historical values and the value of the potential development itself is a discussed topic. The paper aims to map and evaluate the transformation processes and urban structures of selected barracks in Slovakia. By these examples, we describe individual trends and methods of working with the public space and the buildings themselves. The i...

A huge increase in the importance of individual transport in the 20th the century concerned practically all Western European countries and the USA. This was favored by changes in urban planning and society, such as the sprawl of cities and the development of the automotive sector. The prices of passenger cars dropped significantly, which in turn meant that the car ceased to be a luxury commodity and became the everyday means of human communication. Most European citizens can afford to buy a used car. The city auth...

The article discusses four examples of the pioneering use of concrete and reinforced concrete in the early twentieth century residential architecture that were of key importance for ideological and aesthetic changes at the root of modernity in housing. Two of these examples are completed buildings, i.e. Hennebique House in Bourg-la-Reine and the apartment building at 25 rue Benjamin Franklin in Paris designed by Auguste Perret. The other two relate to theoretical works – using concrete and reinforced concrete in a...

The executive project of the Forte Montecchio North, drawn up by the Military Genius Works Management in 1912 and revised in 1914 with the aim of expanding the powder magazine in the cave in order to store explosives in the same, for road breaks, come from the suppressed Tanno’s powder magazine (near Chiavenna), reflects the typical characteristics of the Italian forts built between 1904 and 1914, debtors of the theoretical studies of general Enrico Rocchi (Rome, 1850 - 1933). The contribution aims to offer, throu...

The study focuses on the work of architect and theorist Pavel Janák (1882-1956) – as an early proponent of Cubist architecture in Bohemia. He was no mere a Cubist but was concerned to develop innovative figures of architecture in Prague that yet possessed both historical continuity and universal validity. The investigation associates geometric relations present in Janák’s theory as proposed in the essay “The Prism and the Pyramid”(1911-1912). This eventually will lead to the description of an original architectura...

Hospitals and hospital complexes represent an important function in the urban fabric of cities. As usually closed and impassable areas, they have specific requirements for a good accessibility and for a constant implementation of innovations in healthcare and technologies. Old hospital complexes situated in city centres and their outdated hospital buildings are often not able to adopt the advances in healthcare and they become dysfunctional. New modern hospital complexes are developed in more suitable urban locati...

The degree of satisfying the mobility needs acts as a determinant of the quality of life in the city. Simultaneously, urban transport is a source of numerous nuisances and threats due to excessive growth of motorization. The development of pedestrian traffic, on the other hand, is a solution to many problems faced by large cities. In this context, it is worth asking a following question: How should urban spaces that encourage pedestrian traffic be planned and shaped? The comfort of pedestrian traffic does not depe...

The study of formal symbolical systems is a part of conceptual theories of architecture and anthropology. This type of research confirms the possibility of using general theories about symbols in architectural research, identifying attributes whose meaning can be traced back to artistic expressions, as well as observing the interaction mechanisms within the cultic and architecture program. Spectacular symbols as part of the imaginary structures are also a part of architecture: the dialectic of ascension imagery is...

This text is a trial to embrace the problem of the passive construction in East Europe, including Poland, in terms of economic and legal conditions and the experience gained through centuries of traditional construction. The researches, focused on the analysis of source literature, compared and grabbed analogies between modern solutions of energy-saving construction and traditional solutions of vernacular architecture in Podlasie region. The emphasis was put on those features of passive house, which allow to lower...

This paper recognizes four distinct approaches underlying the theoretical works during the late 19th and 20th century. In the first two, authors were searching for a model morphological solution – prototype - in response to new arising requirements of society and technology. The morphological solutions were either consistent or inconsistent with traditional morphology When real life applications of some of these models, especially the morphological experiments, proved to be, mildly put, a disappointment, the third...

In last two decades, sustainability is one of the most important subject in our society. Retrofitting and reduction of CO? emisions from residential buildings is becoming an anchor of interactive approch to global, environmental and socio-economic policy. There are several measures taken to increase the energy efficiency, both for new buildings and for existing buildings, such us the 20 –20 –20 EU Policy andthe Nearly Zero Energy Buildings goal set bythe Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EC, which ...

The most employed nondestructive or microdestructive methods for the diagnosis provide architects and engineers with a quantitative information on mechanical parameters such as in situ stress state, characteristics of deformability, compression strength. The aim of this paper is to describe in a critical way the main methods emphasizing advantages and drawbacks. To this end some tests has been performed on a historical building.

Correct development of small children may manifest itself by, among others, increased physical activity. Older children might go through periods of objections towards adults. Such behaviors are often caused by inappropriate housing. Children’s needs change quickly and their fulfilment requires suitable space and its proper organization (functional division and technical equipment). Children’s activity is often undesired in the representative part of the house, e.g. in the living room; and realization of their need...

As more and more aspects of the design and manufacturing process move into the digital environment, the way that design is being taught becomes an up to date topic. The novelty of digital technologies makes the transition from the analogical environments to be seen as a natural and unavoidable event, taking into account their alleged superiority. Traditional means are perceived as being outdated, without taking into account all their strengths and weaknesses. Even though in some fields of application this particul...

The paper presents analogies of self-formations in architectural design linked to the theory of David Bohm on dialogue. Due to Bohm, dialogue offers an effective method for holistic understanding and scientific achievements emerging in an interactive participative self-formation-process. In the field of structural engineering, the scientific community uses the term self-formation in the context of “Active Bending”. This paper presents elastic bending as a creative form-finding tool for complex curved micro-archite...

The purpose of the study is to discuss dwelling, and how it affects the building structure. A building structure is the basis for creating an architectural form. One can't discuss architectural design if dwelling and the building structure are not taken into account during the design process. It is the architects who decide where the elements of construction will be placed in space, and it is these elements that create future dwelling spaces. Architecture is meant to be an apt answer to the user's need. The needs ...

This paper is devoted to the cultural heritage in the context of the possibility of its use to increase the value of economically under-invested areas of the eastern part of the Podlasie region. The paper consists of four parts. The first part contains general considerations about cultural heritage and discusses its structure. Cultural heritage is often expressed as either intangible or tangible cultural heritage. In the second part of this paper, the research area is described and the cultural heritage of this ar...

The world of humans is a profoundly visual one. Since the time the limits of darkness in the night were overcome by artificial lighting, the perception has moved significantly not only in the physiological sense but in terms of seeing and understanding architecture and art objects as well. Lamps and light sources have become one of the crucial factors in the process of generating visual perception, perception of objects, in designing spatial compositions, art sceneries and the overall emotional atmosphere of space...

The article presents examples of workers’ colonies, both realized as well as in the design phase, in what today is the area of Wroc?aw and its surroundings, though at the time of their establishment most were located in the neighbouring communes. These are housing estates constructed near the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, i.e.: next to Schoeller’s spinning mill in Stab?owice, which became a part of the city in 1928, next to the sugar refinery in Klecina, and the railway workers’ estate “Wielka...

The document defining the spatial development policy of the city in Poland is study of conditions and directions of spatial management. For proper planning of public spaces, it is crucial that the study fulfills its regulatory functions accurately, protects the common good against the market game and against usurpation of these areas for non-social functions. Therefore, planning records should determine the accurate localization and ensure, within the designated boundaries, two things: firstly, a place for anticip...

Mixed use is a term used for implementation of different functions (uses) in the same building. Mixed used buildings are very often related to a high density (compact)urban landscape: city centers, urban centers, particular densities and uses. The term low density refers to housing and describes partially urbanized land with dispersed (non-compact) housing(very often single family houses or semidetached housing). In times of constant urbanization, low density mixed-use houses occur more and more often. It is commo...

More than 300 fortified churches have been built, since the 12th century, by the Saxons established within the perimeter of the Seven Cities (Bra?ov, Sibiu, Sebe?, Cluj, Bistri?a, Media? and Sighi?oara) of the Siebenbürgen. Erected mainly to defend their small rural communities in front of the various threats of those times, the walls of the fortified churches are still standing to remember a history that, fortunately, has proven to be slightly milder than expected by their builders and represent nowadays an enorm...

Attractive public spaces are among the magnets encouraging people to settle down in. In this context, a question ought to be posed: how should public spaces be planned along with the phenomena of depopulation occurring in cities? The cognitive goal is to determine the relationship between urban shrinkage manifestations and public space planning on the example of selected Polish cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants. The practical goal is to set recommendations for the adaptation of urban spatial development po...

Small industrial towns of the Ural region (about 200 in number) are mainly one-company towns, their history dating back about 300 years. Most of them are now experiencing economic decline because raw materials have already been exhausted, and agglomeration processes intensify the outflow of population. However, they constitute a unique settlement system, well thought-out and adjusted to the climatic conditions, and retain lifestyle, system of values and mentality aimed at the active interaction between man and nat...

Thesis : Underground architecture engages our sensory system in order to depict and intensify its meaning. The mother’s uterus defines first space in which humans embryo evolves with no access of light, meagre sound reception, suspended in an aqueous environment. In prehistoric times caves and dugouts acted as a cramped, safe place, giving the inhabitants a sense of shelter and protecting them from animals and rough weather conditions. Later it began to adopt different meanings and functions, which often depended ...

The paper presents a part of the research on the most important radical concepts in architecture of the late XX century. The question that the research is trying to answer is: in what way certain concepts did essentially influence thinking and practice of architectural design in the form of the objects that were constructed? The methodology adopted in this research is mainly based on comparative and interpretative studies of writings and projects of the most influential architects of the mentioned period. The pape...

The objective of the article is the investigation of architectonic structure transformations occurring in single-family housing districts, resulting from individual actions of owners of particular properties. The transformations particularly concern several tens of years old (and older) houses with a low cubic capacity. For the purpose of adjustment to modern standards and needs, they are subject to often very extensive transformations. The selected study area was the Z.O.R. na Kole district (located in Warsaw, in...

The paper is devoted to the problems of the reconstruction of The Annunciation Church in Suprasl. In the introduction the subject of the considerations is defined, and then a historical background is presented. The main part of the article consists of three parts that correspond to the reconstruction work. The first part is a description of the reconstruction of the building, the second refers to the reconstruction of the interior. In the third part, the methodology of reconstruction of polychrome and related prob...

The role of architecture as a tool in creating social relations in urban environment is increasing from a certain date. The idea of creating architecture that is the answer to certain, specific needs of small, local communities has recently become one of the most important determinants of contemporary design thought. The paper presents model solutions that were implemented, inter alia, during the design workshops for architecture students in cooperation with the Arka Foundation in Krzywa near Nowogród Bobrza?ski i...

Place making is a concept meaning space improvement aimed at creating places that let you think of public spaces as "another place of your own". In recent years, it grew mainly within the United States, and the research accumulation is progressing. In this research, the study's target site was set up in an elementary school district in Fukuoka, Japan. At the northern end of the complex estate site, there is a parking lot site which is not currently used, and we considered it to be a community farm. In the survey m...

The permanent and irreversible effects of changes in the face of the Earth that modern architecture should respond to, are discernible. What distinguishes the ideology of sustainable architecture is highlighting the meaning of the relationship between man and the environment. Due to their activity, people have not only a visible impact on the nature of the landscape, but also on climate change, disturbances in the functioning of flora and fauna, and even deterioration of the health of the population. Ecological, e...

There are various ways of images digitizing (reconstruction, conservation) for different sites and monuments of cultural heritage. In this article, one of such methods is considered: the vector method of reconstructing images for textures that could be used for virtual three-dimensional reconstruction. The actual problems of restoration of lost fragments of frescoes from archive photographs in the absence of access to the monument and the possibility of scanning are discussed. Various methods of digital image rest...

The paper focuses on analyzing and evaluating the potential of small and medium-sized towns with emphasis on tourism, cultural heritage and cultural landscape in contact with the Danube River. Small and medium-sized towns located outside the main urbanisation centers and the main urbanisation axes need impulses to ensure their social and economic development and attraction. For these cities it is important to evaluate their cultural and landscape potential, which they have but however, it is still under-utilised a...

In the ferment of the demonstrations activated in Genoa in the last years and in the research projects of the University, in the Department of Architecture and Design, we must also include the relation established among studies funded by external bodies, including private ones, and theoretical-methodological research, in particular on the importance of representative choices in communication. The general objective lies in a careful analysis of the role that representative choices play in the communication of visua...

This text is a trial to capture the issue of the oldest wooden orthodox temples in the northern Podlasie region in Poland. The researches were based on available literature and, most of all, on source studies, archival queries and field studies. The previous research outcomes of the author were also used. The first part of the article depicts the general conditions of developing the orthodox architecture in the region. In the next part a basic typology of analyzed orthodox churches is presented. The form of projec...

In this work, authors present the study of two examples of modern museums, i.e. the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem (YVHHM, Israel) and the Family Home of John Paul II Museum in Wadowice (JP2FHM, Poland). The main objective of the research was to analyze the influence of the multi-method style of narration on stimulating learning environments in both museums. On the first stage of the study, the literature review was prepared. On the basis of the other authors’ observations as well as own experien...

Architecture of the Alchemists’ House, which was carried out according to a design of Dariusz Koz?owski in Mochnackiego street in Cracow, inspired cogitation on architecture parlante and threads of significance in architecture of the post-functionalist era. Architecture parlante was born in France and it means „speaking architecture” – expressing through its form, details and general character of a building, content and meaning carried by the architectural work. Turning to the past, postmodern architecture returns...

Period furniture styles, from Antiquity to Rococo, were characterized by the constant use of ornament as a way to connect visually and intellectually to Nature, as did Art in general. The evolution of furniture design in the last hundred years was marked by the almost total disparition of ornament. The thesis that form should originate solely from function, lead to the crisis of Modern Architecture. Innovation in furniture design faces today a number of challenges, which originate in part from the limitations set ...

This indicated research embodies a current phase of concerns regarding Cluj-Napoca’s commercial spaces within the historic center in order to assign its pure character of the city. Merchandising is a key-factor in a center area on the matter of competing businesses, social and ethnic interaction and also maintaining a full social life of the city. Our current findings point out a severe drop in high-end department stores in the historic area of the city. In this way, low standard department store alters the qualit...

During the historical development of drama, theatrical performances took place in various settings: simultaneous medieval stages, illusional and perspective Renaissance stages, Humanist stages of palaces and academies, decorated Baroque stages. The space of drama has always retained its detachment, being a symbolic world. Theatre has the biggest power and potential to discuss the most delicate and complicated political and social issues. Its role is to be document and communication channel. Since the beginning of ...

The Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology has been operating in the adapted building of the Cadet School since. Previously, it was the headquarters of the Kadetten Institute, built in the mid-nineteenth century during the Habsburg Monarchy, on the remains of the former, representative summer residence of Polish kings - in the village of Lobzow near Cracow. Within the walls of this architectural monument are also the remains of a medieval castellum built in 1375 by King Casimir the Great. I...

Following political changes in the 1990s, in many Polish cities, large state-owned enterprises were liquidated or privatized (not always with a good result). The situation in which, the main employer in the region collapsed, is dangerous for the city. While in the prosperous larger centres, the multiplicity and variety of functions may partially "take over" the former employees of the closed company and mitigate the occurrence of crisis phenomena, in small towns it means a serious problem, especially if their prev...