Modernism in Poland

Poland Modernism – electricity in modernist architecture developed in Poland in two phases, separated by World War II and a forced period of socialist realism in architecture. Another name: functionalism.

Characteristics
Modernism in Poland appeared just like in the world as an architectural style which is a response to problems that could not be solved by the existing architecture and the growing requirements of every human being concerning living space, hygiene, aesthetics. Modernism in accordance with the ideas of Le Corbusier should provide every man with sun, space and greenery, according to Louis Sullivan the form of the building should result from its function, and according to Arsenius Romanowiczevery building should be functional, aesthetic and economical. The practical result of the history of modernism in Poland is the resignation in the 20th century from the construction of wells, from narrow residential rooms known from old times, from settlement of settlements and parks, from small glazing known from rural cottages and from tenement houses, as well as narrow streets without sewage system for streets with wide sidewalks. Construction of houses close to factories was also discontinued and the principle of composing as much greenery as possible with each new housing estate was introduced.

Development in Poland
Before World War II, modernism in Poland was the style of elite facilities, such as villas, or public buildings. At the same time, a dozen or so modernist housing estates were established, mainly cooperative ones (eg the WSM estate, TOR in Warsaw). In the 1930s, skepticism towards functionalist tendencies at the end of the 1920s was also noticed in Poland – modernist forms were combined with elements that gave buildings an impression of solidity and durability.

Before 1939, modernist-style buildings were in the largest number built in Warsaw (Saska Kępa, Stary Żoliborz, Stary Mokotów), Gdynia and Katowice (the so-called southern and Ligota districts). In these cities there are entire districts with buildings built in the modernist style. A lot of modernist buildings have also been preserved in Kraków, Lwów, Kalisz, Łódź, Stalowa Wola, Toruń and Bielsko-Biała (Aleje Sułkowskiego, Górne Przedmieście).

Post-war modernism had a much larger range. Its great bloom took place from 1956-1957, later in practice it was a state-regulated design guideline for new buildings and lasted until the end of the 1980s.

After the change of the political system in Poland in 1989, the phenomenon emphasized by journalistic and architectural circles, ie devastation and disfigurement of modernist architecture both pre-war and post-war through incompetent, tacky repairs often carried out on a massive scale not by architects but decision makers. The critics of such activity point to a bad state of knowledge about the history of architecture among the society and almost complete forgetting that modernism is perfectly characteristic of the American architect L. Sullivan’s form results from the function and the claim of the eminent Polish architect J. Grabowska-Hawrylak that modernism is characterized by beautiful, white facades and such a color should be used during renovations.

Selected examples of Polish modernism

until 1939
Experimental Departments of the Warsaw School of Economics, ul. Rakowiecka 24 in Warsaw, Jan Witkiewicz Koszczyc, 1925-1926
Sejm of the Republic of Poland, ul. Wiejska 2/4/6 in Warsaw, Kazimierz Skórewicz, 1925-1928
Ministry of Religious Denominations and Public Education, al. Szucha 25 in Warsaw, Zdzisław Mączeński, 1925-1927
Romuald Gutt’s house, ul. Hoene-Wroński 5 in Warsaw, Romuald Gutt, 1926-1928
Brukalskich Villa, ul. Niegolewskiego 8 in Warsaw, Stanisław Brukalski and Barbara Brukalska, 1927
Church of St. Rocha in Bialystok, Oskar Sosnowski, 1927-1946
Cooperative housing estates in Żoliborz in Warsaw – colonies IV, VII, IX WSM, Stanisław Brukalski with his wife Barbara, 1927-1932
Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych, ul. Sanguszki 1 in Warsaw, Antoni Dygat, 1927
The National Museum in Warsaw, Al. Jerozolimskie 3, Tadeusz Tołwiński, 1927-1932
Central Institute of Physical Education (currently University of Physical Education) in Bielany in Warsaw, Edgar Aleksander Norwerth, 1928-1930
Lachert family house, ul. Katowicka 9-11-11a in Warsaw, Bohdan Lachert and Józef Szanajca, 1928
School of Trade in Poznan, Stefan Cybichowski, 1928
Exhibition hall in Torun, Kazimierz Ulatowski, 1928
Pavilions of the General National Exhibition in Poznań, (most of them demolished) 1929
Car dealer “Auto-Koncern” in Warsaw (rebuilt after the war), 1929-1930
Osiedle im. Józef Montwiłła-Mirecki in Polesie in Łódź, 1928-1931
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego in Warsaw, Rudolf Świerczyński, 1928-1931
House of professors of the Silesian Technical Research Institute in Katowice, ul. Wojewódzka 23, arch. Eustachy Chmielewski, 1929
The building of the Skepark Office of Drapacz Chmur in Katowice, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 15, arch. Tadeusz Kozłowski, construction: Stefan Bryła 1929-30
The so-called building “Park school” in Tarnowskie Góry, ul. Stanisław Wyspiański 1-3, arch. Martin Stefke, 1929-32
The garrison church of St. Kazimierz in Katowice, ul. Skłodowskiej Curie, arch. Leon Dietz d’Arma, cooperation with Jerzy Zarzycki, 1930
The building of the Jagiellonian Library in Krakow, Wacław Krzyżanowski, 1931-1939
Służewiec horse racing track, ul. Puławska 266 in Warsaw, Zygmunt Plater-Zyberk, 1931-1939
Solo -thermal swimming pool in Ciechocinek, Romuald Gutt and Aleksander Szniolis, 1931-32
Hotel Patria in Krynica, Bohdan Pniewski, 1932
Sanatorium “Wiktor” in Żegiestów, Jan Bagieński, Zbigniew Wardzała, 1936
A housing estate in Aleje Sułkowski in Bielsko-Biała, 1934-1937
Main Building of the National Museum in Krakow, Czesław Boratyński, Edward Kreisler, Bolesław Schmidt, 1934-1939
The Jan Wedel tenement house, ul. Puławska 26 and 28 in Warsaw, Juliusz Żórawski, 1935-1938
The building of the Pomeranian County Office in Toruń, arch. Jerzy Wierzbicki, 1935-36
House of the Silesian Insurgents Union, ul. Matejki 3 in Katowice, arch. Zbigniew Rzepecki 1936
The building of the Silesian Museum in Katowice (demolished in 1941-1944), arch. Karol Schayer, 1934-36
Social Insurance Institution in Gdynia, Roman Piotrowski, 1935-1936
Office of the Non-Joint Offices in Katowice, pl. Of the Sejm Śląski 1, arch. Witold Kłębkowski, Lucjan Sikorski (1937)
The building of the Municipal Savings Bank in Bielsko-Biała at pl. Bolesława Chrobrego, Paweł Juraszko, 1938
Dom Żeglarza Polskiego, now Navigational Department – Maritime Academy in Gdynia, Bohdan Damięcki, Tadeusz Sieczkowski, 1938-1939

after 1945

Central Department Store (CDT) in Warsaw, designed by architect Zbigniew Ihnatowicz, arch. Jerzy Romański, 1949-1951
Dom Towarowy Okrąglak in Poznań, Marek Leykam, 1949-1954
Eastern Wall in Warsaw (Wars, Sawa, Sezam, Junior, Rotunda PKO, Kino Relax, Biurowiec Uniwersal), ul. Marszałkowska 100-122, Zbigniew Karpiński with the band, 1962-1969
Supersam in Warsaw at Plac Unii Lubelskiej, Jerzy Hryniewiecki and Wacław Zalewski, 1959-1962 (object demolished)
Ochota stop on the mid-station PKP line, Al. Jerozolimskie in Warsaw, Arseniusz Romanowicz and Piotr Szymaniak, (design 1954-55) 1960-1962
Hotel “Cracovia” (1959-65) and Cinema “Kiev” (1959-67) in Krakow, designed by Witold Cęckiewicz
Furniture House “Emilia” in Warsaw, designed by Marian Kuźniar, Czesław Wegner, 1967-1969
Spodek Arena in Katowice, Maciej Gintowt, Maciej Krasiński, 1964-1971 – one of the first objects in the world with a roof constructed in the tensigrade system, in the form of a large inclined half-moon covered with a plane suspended on ropes stretched on the perimeter.
Osiedle Za Żelazną Bramą in Warsaw, Jerzy Czyż, 1972 – one of the few post-war settlements completely equipped with practical portfenets ensuring full insolation of flats.
The High Mountain Observatory on Śnieżka, Witold Lipiński and Waldemar Wawrzyniak, 1966-1974
Plac Grunwaldzki housing estate in Wrocław, Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylakowa, 1967-1973 – a team of six skyscrapers and three service pavilions located on the platform – pedestrian zone, covering the car park. Plastic, but also very structural and tectonic elevations were made of prefabricated concrete elements. Rare among housing estates example of the use of viewing terraces on roofs and facades covered with aesthetic ceramic tiles, so-called clinker.
Church of Our Lady Queen of Poland in Krakow (Ark of the Lord), Wojciech Pietrzyk, 1967-1977
Main Pump House in Krynica, Zbigniew Mikołajewski, Stanisław Spyt, 1971
Railway station in Katowice, Wacław Kłyszewski, Jerzy Mokrzyński, Eugeniusz Wierzbicki, 1972
Western Wall in Warsaw, Jerzy Skrzypczak with the band, 1972-1989 (construction was discontinued in 1989)

Important objects of German modernism in Poland
Hala Stulecia in Wrocław, Max Berg, 1913
Upper Silesian Tower in Poznan, partially demolished, currently Spire (Hall 11) of the Poznań Fair, Hans Poelzig, 1911
An office building in Wroclaw, Hans Poelzig, 1912
Textile house of Weichmann in Gliwice, Erich Mendelsohn, 1921-1922
Department store Rudolf Petersdorff in Wroclaw, Erich Mendelsohn, 1927-1928
WUWA Deutsche Werkbundu WUWA housing estate in Wrocław, 1929
Railway stations on the line No. 430: Stare Bielice – Drezdenko – Skwierzyna 1932-1936, Wilhem Beringer

Source from Wikipedia