For the thirtieth time, the annual Prime Minister's Awards in recognition of contributions to the development of Polish science were awarded. Among the winners were also representatives of the architectural community — Julian Franta of the Cracow University of Technology and Tomasz Bradecki, professor at the Silesian University of Technology.
The award has been granted since 1994 to individuals or teams for achievements in scientific, including artistic or implementation activities, outstanding doctoral dissertations and highly regarded achievements that are the basis for the award of a postdoctoral degree.
Applications for the Prime Minister's award, together with a justification of the proposal, are submitted by representatives of universities and scientific institutes. In the 2019-2023 term, the team for the Prime Minister's Awards included representatives of various fields: prof. Konrad Banaszek (physics; as of 10.06.2022), prof. Henryk Jan Bujak (biology), prof. Boguslaw Andrzej Buszewski (chemistry), prof. Maciej Chorowski (energy), prof. Ewa Flaczyk (food and nutrition technology), prof. Jaroslaw Gajewski (theater, acting), prof. Tomasz Giaro (law; team chairman), prof. Grzegorz Gielerak (medicine, biomedical engineering), prof. Adam Idzik (mathematics, computer science), prof. Ryszard Kutyłowski (civil engineering and transportation), prof. Michał Markuszewski (pharmacy), prof. Roman Micnas (physics), prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak (economics and finance; until 15.06.2021), prof. Janusz Odziemkowski (history), prof. Antoni Rogalski (optoelectronics), prof. Witold Rużyłło (medicine, interventional cardiology), prof. Jan Sochoń (philosophy, theology), prof. Joanna Maria Sosnowska (art history), prof. Jerzy Stopa (mining and geology), prof. Andrzej Wernicki (veterinary science, animal science, fisheries, agrotechnology) and prof. Bogdan Wojciszke (psychology, pedagogy).
Julian Franta
Photo: Piotr Celewicz
This year's prize was awarded for 2022. In the category of outstanding doctoral dissertation, the Prime Minister's prize was awarded to Julian Franta from the Department of Housing Environment Formation of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology, for his work "The role of railroad stations in the structure of public spaces of a modern city", in which the architect, using selected European examples, examines the process of functional and spatial evolution of railroad stations and their relationship with public space.
For a work that is of significant importance to the development of contemporary urban planning thought, being a rich and innovative contribution to the comprehensive study of the process of functional-spatial evolution of modern railroad stations, having a great potential for application conducive to enriching the attractiveness and improving the quality of public spaces of cities, due to the timeliness and importance of the topic, the use of innovative research methodology combining the workshop of the scientist researcher and the designer" — reads the justification for the award.
More about the publication: "The role of railroad stations in the structure of public spaces of the modern city".
Tomasz Bradecki, PhD, professor at the Silesian University of Technology
photo: archives of Tomasz Bradecki
In the category of highly regarded scientific achievements constituting the basis for granting the degree of doctor of postdoctoral studies, the award went to Tomasz Bradecki, PhD, professor at the Silesian University of Technology, associate dean for cooperation and development at the Faculty of Architecture of the Silesian University of Technology and assistant professor in the Department of Urbanism and Spatial Planning, for his work "Indicators, parameters and models in the shaping of intensive multifamily residential development". In his work, the architect analyzes the importance of the above-mentioned factors for shaping development in the context of trends that can be observed in Polish residential development.
book cover
© Tomasz Bradecki
As we read in the justification, the award was given for:
the author's evaluation system, which can be a starting point for legislative action for its introduction, for example, for housing developments carried out with public funds. The momentousness of the presented concept lies in emphasizing the role of modeling in urban design and public consultation of urban plans as a tool for integrating various spatial aspects expressed in parameters and solving the problems identified in this way.
More about the publication: "Indicators, parameters and models in shaping intensive multifamily residential development" monograph by Tomasz Bradecki
