Architects from the City Studio - Barbara Nawrocka and Dominika Wilczynska, together with Dominika Janicka from the Institute of Design in Kielce, gave birth to a unique initiative addressing the topic of women in architecture - the BAL of female architects.
The BAL is a space and a situation in which dozens and dozens of women come together to celebrate each other's presence and debate key issues. We are taking over the "architect's ball" against patriarchy in the profession and planning, the initiators of the venture write.
The BAL is an inclusive initiative in which, in addition to a place for sharing experiences, promoting femininatives and collecting biographies, projects and realizations of a knowledge base of prominent female architects, there will also be space for discussions about a feminist approach to design. A feminist one, that is, one that takes care of the diverse needs of all users of space in its demands with care.
invitation to the BAL
© Architects' Ball
Inviting to the ball, female architects took social media(Instagram) by storm, and announced the arrival of a new wave of female designers in their manifesto:
To the archidziaders of the world!
Designers have always been guided by the same ideas. We want society's life to be better, safer, we want space to integrate rather than divide, we want our work to be a framework for human development rather than its regression.
However, for a large part of history, you archdevils have not taken into account the needs of the people who make up more than half the world - women. For a long time you did not allow us to receive architectural education.
When you graciously allowed us to study, it was still not on an equal basis. To date, you are clipping the wings of young female students of the discipline, saying in lectures that the place of women is - at most - in interior design.
The generation of post-war female architects was allowed to assignments considered less prestigious, such as apartment blocks and kindergartens. Well, after all, a woman won't design a theater or an important government edifice!
You ignore our voice in the design processes and leave us out of the awards. You thus belittle our achievements. You yourselves probably admit that Denise Scott Brown deserved that Pritzker in 1991 on a par with Venturi. And once one of us finally received this award, you focused on ridiculing her looks and charisma.
The very word "architect" seems to steam up your tongue and cannot pass your lips.
WE SAY BASTA and take over the "architect's ball" against the patriarchy in the profession and planning. A new wave of female architects is coming! With the support of the older generations, we are changing the rules of the game. Tremble at your autocads!
female architects:
Dominika Janicka
Barbara Nawrocka
Dominika Wilczynska
We wrote quite a bit about women in architecture in last year's issue of A&B (see A&B 6/2020), so we are all the more pleased with the initiative of Barbara Nawrocka, Dominika Wilczynska and Dominika Janicka, which has a chance not only to remind us of the past achievements of female designers, but also to help spread the wings of their next generation.
See you at the ball!
