After four years Szczecin will live to see a new city architect! On January 8 this year we learned the results of the competition for this position - Marek Koguciuk became the new deputy director of the Department of Architecture and Construction, and thus the Architect of the City of Szczecin.
time of change
Until 2021 the position was held by Jaroslaw Bodnar, but since his sudden death the position has remained vacant for many years. The lack of a person in this position was felt in the city - the Szczecin branch of the SARP sought the restoration of this function, and the discussion of the role of the City Architect was one of the main themes of last year's Westival in Szczecin. The Szczecin magistrate has launched a competition for a new City Architect (and at the same time deputy director of the Department of Architecture and Construction) on October 17, 2024.
Among the main tasks that the person in this position will face are conducting matters in the field of spatial planning, participating in the process of updating the city's spatial policy, carrying out activities aimed at increasing the quality of spatial solutions, preserving and improving the aesthetic, artistic and utilitarian values of the city, cooperating with organizations and associations of architects and urban planners, as well as initiating and organizing architectural and urban-architectural competitions.
Who is the new architect of Szczecin?
Twelve candidates took part in the competition, and ten met the formal requirements and qualified for the second stage of the recruitment process, i.e. an interview, which was an opportunity to present their vision of the architectural development of Szczecin. The process culminated in the selection of Marek Koguciuk, a graduate of the Faculty of Construction and Architecture at Szczecin University of Technology with more than 20 years of experience in running a business in the construction and design-executive sphere, and more than 10 years of work in public administration units.
Mr. Marek Koguciuk presented a very interesting and coherent concept of work as a City Architect. In turn, the vision of architectural development of Szczecin, presented by the candidate, met the expectations of the selection committee to the greatest extent. The selected candidate has very good substantive preparation to perform the tasks of the position for which the recruitment was conducted," reads the justification for the selection.
