Dominica:Can you say more about working with local artisans?
Adam: For my first project, I went to a locksmith recommended by my father, who had been running his business in an old garage in Poznań's Jeżyce district for over forty years. He was an old-school professional to whom I didn't send e-mails, but drove around with drawings and we discussed them in person. He already had his "mics" that he shared with me, which also made the whole process more interesting and lively for me. Talking live with performers is always interesting, and in this case a valuable relationship was formed, to which I have a great fondness.
Dominica:You're talking about the artisan from Jeżyce in the past tense.
Adam: Yes, he has already finished his business and retired at the age of seventy-five. Physical work and regularity kept him in great shape, he definitely did not look his age. It could also seem that such a form of cooperation was a waste of time, something that could have been handled by e-mail, but for me it all created a unique atmosphere. Besides, I was gathering design experience in my own studio, so every opportunity to learn something new was valuable to me.
The designer takes care of the details - author's furniture and lamps designed for the interiors of restaurants, bars and a club
photo: PION Studio
Dominika: And you learned from your mistakes.
Adam: Yes, from the very beginning I was motivated to simply act on my own, to do my own thing, which still succeeds today. Although I don't have the experience of a larger studio, I'm not afraid to approach different topics and engage myself to the maximum.
Dominika:You also don't seem to stick to a particular style in your projects, and the aesthetics change depending on the location and function.
Adam: Certainly, it is impossible to translate certain solutions to every type of project. Although regardless of the place or function, you can see common elements that make some people recognize the interiors I designed, namely the characteristic steel structures and related details. In many projects, you can also see my fondness for the grid - a pattern in squares transferred to steel grids or square tile walls. There are some designers who will design each interior completely differently, and with me, however, the leading materials and forms appear in different variations and colors.
Dominika:Where do you get your inspiration from?
Adam: This is a question I've never been able to answer directly. I probably absorb them from my surroundings, I always pay attention to everything around me, no matter what space I'm in. In the end, everyone creates in proportions according to their own sense. We live in an age of unlimited access to information, which is not always positive. I am not a fan of writing down for myself the hundreds of images that catch my eye every day. One can also get the impression that if a client comes to an architect with a ready-made board from Pinterest or Instagram, they are just looking for someone to glue those inspirations and images together.
design of a single-family house in Poznan
Photo: Oni Studio
Dominika:How do you handle such situations?
Adam: So far, I think such a situation happened only once and ended positively. I managed to communicate to the investor at an early stage that I am a designer who proposes new solutions tailored to our theme every time. And also that the design process we go through together is valuable to both me and the investor, in a sense he is also a co-creator. I've been very lucky, because most of my concepts were accepted the first time.
Dominica:So either you are a master of persuasion, or you are a good psychologist.
Adam: Certainly not a master, but there is something to it. On the one hand, in a meeting with a client I can talk about a project for two hours until I feel my throat going dry, but I'm not good at public speaking. Maybe it's a matter of stress. It is said that the profession of architecture combines many other professions. In addition to designing itself, you need to be able to talk, to convince the investor of your ideas while knowing that you are spending his money. Certainly, conversations with clients involve emotions, and presenting a conceptual design and observing the reaction is one of the turning points of the whole process.
Dominika:Then what, in your opinion, is the role of an architect?
Adam: This is a very broad issue. I think the role of an architect is to shape space regardless of scale, and this consists of a lot of issues: education, relations with people, function and context. This involves a lot of responsibility, what impact the designed space will have on users and whether it will correctly solve the problems posed. That's why I try to approach my profession wisely and consciously. I have been fortunate to work on interesting, non-standard themes, such as community gardens or temporary architecture, but also to collaborate on small projects with local artisans. No matter what thematic projects I'm working on, I always try to approach these tasks in such a way that I feel peace and not remorse - moral or ethical.
Dominika:I have the impression that this is the aura that accompanies your realizations, that the modesty of the designer and the harmony and peace of mind flow from them.
Adam: I am very pleased that you perceive them this way. This is probably due to my aesthetic preferences - I choose simple and rational solutions that can be read as modest. I also like the design approach that can be seen in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Switzerland. Particularly interesting are the first two directions, where, with modest budgets for single-family houses, one can see real design artistry. While in Poland, architecture of a similar scale is often meant to show the position and financial capabilities of the owner. I definitely appreciate more the design approach, where you can see that with modest resources someone has come up with something interesting.
left: the interior of the Poznan wine bar "I'm flowing"; right: a project for the adaptation of shipping containers into a house and office
Photo: PION Studio (left); photo: Oni Studio (right)
Dominik:Returning to Poznań's backyard - you carry out projects mainly in the capital of Greater Poland, so you have a real influence on what the city will look like. What is your vision for Poznań?
Adam: Of course, I would like what I design in the city space to fit in well and be positively received by people. This is exactly what happened with the Szeląg Garden, which makes me very happy. I like Poznań because of its scale, but I also love Berlin, to which I have family ties. To the answer about inspiration, I can certainly add those related to Berlin, which as a city has always fascinated me. I have a lot of "my" places there, favorite buildings. I also derive great pleasure from simply observing people from the level of a chair on the sidewalk. The openness of the residents, the variety of gastronomy, the local centers, the Turkish liquor stores with benches displayed in front of them, the bicycles - the idea of community life you see in Berlin has always appealed to me. Poznań is a different scale, but I'd like it to be just as wildly green, with good public architecture, so that the cultural mix drives city life. These are pretty trivial things that I think many people dream of. It's quite embarrassing to hear that you have an impact on the appearance of your city, I guess I'm not at that stage yet, I tend to have an impact on small cuts that obviously affect the immediate neighborhood. I haven't yet had the opportunity to participate in some spectacular, important project for Poznań. At the moment I have no such ambition, although it might seem that the design of a representative building is every architect's dream. For me, development on a smaller, authorial scale is more interesting at this point.
Dominica:Perhaps today's cities should not center around these spectacular buildings, but rather create a good atmosphere for local activities and spaces - as is happening in Berlin.
Adam: In Berlin we can certainly find buildings that are unique and well-designed, but most of what happens there is from the human level. Of course, it's a big city, if only there are more different initiatives. But it's the smaller interventions in space that create everyone's everyday life. Of course, in the background should be good and quality architecture.
Dominica:Finally, I'll ask you, what design interventions would you like to implement?
Adam: I see potential in every new design topic. The Horse House project came to me quite unexpectedly and allowed me to realize an exceptionally interesting specialized building set in a dilapidated rural landscape. Before that, I never imagined that I would be working on such a project. So, if I had to make a neat break out of this question, I would say that I am eager to be surprised by what the future will bring. Although I wouldn't be offended if it was a vineyard-related theme.
Dominica:Thank you for the interview.
interviewed: Dominika Drozdowska
Illustrations provided courtesy of Adam Wiercinski.
