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The article is part of research on rationalist tendencies in contemporary architecture. The subject of the following considerations is the concept of order in relation to the architectural form. Raising the subject is to systematize knowledge and draw attention to the issue of order as a general principle and a tool for shaping architecture. Some creators willingly submit to the rigor of laws and rules, perceiving order as a kind of liberation, while others reject order as being excessively restrictive. The text i...

In the sixteenth century, after the austerity of the medieval atmosphere,and the perfect harmony of the Renaissance forms, the rich and cultured commission of the European courts began to turn towards new architectural and expressive solutions. These new expressions, had a substantial purpose: to amaze, to distance themselves from such elegant perfection as if one wanted to declare a certain "boredom" towards the now consolidated splendor. Today, in the yacht design world we are witnessing what we could call a for...

This essay reflects on the relationship between space and construction characterizing the contemporary in thickness architecture. Understood as a new project material, the system of walls/spaces is the result of an evolution and synthesis of three different wall conceptions and construction techniques. The first belongs to the Roman wall, a large and continuous mass that is transformed into the negative space of an inner volume. The second one belongs to the Renaissance, where the research focuses on the decomposi...

Starting from the production experiences of the early twentieth century for iron fixtures, the paper deals with the technological aspects of the evolution of the section bars composing the Curtisa aluminum windows, from the simple hinged or sliding doors, up to the curtain wall façades.

Currently the number of cars in Polish cities is growing faster than the number of inhabitants. There are already 878 registered vehicles in the Polish city of Wroc?aw for 1000 inhabitants. Parking problems affect not only the city center, but also more and more its edges. There is a shortage of parking spaces on many new multi-family housing estates. The following questions arise: how does Wroc?aw's parking policy counteract this negative trend? How many parking spaces falls on one dwelling in development investm...

In the 1950s, Alison and Peter Smithson, somewhat unfortunately used the term brutalism to name an emerging trend. In English, the element of brutality of this term turned out to be very strong, creating negative thinking about architecture made of raw concrete. However brutalism is not only the rawness of the material, it is also an expressive architectural form, and this rawness emphasizes this expressiveness. Brutalist architecture is often sculptural, but above all it is massive, dominating over its surroundin...

Contemporary art, and thus architecture, wants to break away from the art of the past once again. This is not a new thing as it reappears every few generations of artists. The present gives creators a new ally though: a patron-investor. As never before, the advertising value of art creates the possibility of a new use of architectural works. The creators no longer need rulers or the church, the ordinary world of finances or even city authorities who are ready to bear large costs in the name of a new art is enough ...

The permanent covering of a floor generally provides a wearing surface on top of a support structure, with shape, appearance and materials chosen mainly for architectural, structural and economical reasons. At the same time each flooring choice is unique, and it means and does a lot more than just supporting weight and offering surfaces to walk on. Modern floorings propose strategies and specialized solutions in order to recommend the perfect link between technology and customers. Flooring alternatives, from tradi...

The article discusses problems associated with the adaptation of attics in buildings located in the historical old town complexes of European cities. It is an attempt at illustrating several aspects of the preparation and implementation of a complex development process based upon, among other elements, a multi-criteria decision-making process. In comparison to development projects planned outside of building complexes of historical value, the introduction of a new form of use into existing structures of a historic...

First mentions of the glass as a material appear in prehistoric times. There is evidence of conscious use of obsidian as natural glass in this period. Glass is a traditional full-value building material that has been proven for centuries. Glass is one of the few building materials that is transparent and translucent, which is an important feature in architecture. We use these features in modern contemporary buildings, but also in renovations and in historical parts of cities. This article discusses the possibiliti...

The concept of universal design that is being implemented by developed democratic societies is a strategic approach to planning and design, the goal of which is to provide all citizens with the ability to participate in public life. According to definitions, universal architecture is a type of architecture whose use is not limited by any of our individual qualities - be they physical, psychological, social, or cultural. Introduced in the 1960’s and developed in the 1990’s along with the concepts of sustainable des...