We are publishing more student works selected in the preselection in the competition for press reportage on architecture. Today we invite you to read the text by Maria Jakubek entitled. "Education as an element of revitalization activities in shaping common space".
Maria Jakubek is a graduate of the High School of Arts in Poznan and the Faculty of Architecture at the Poznan University of Technology. She has participated in many exhibitions on architectural and artistic topics and gained experience in Poznan architectural offices. She is interested in the impact of new construction (especially high-rise) on the urban fabric, as well as traditional architecture of villages and small towns.
Education as part of revitalization efforts in shaping common space
I ask what he would do with the half-bubble that was up for grabs.
- I would buy the city and do with it," he replies after a moment's thought.
- Czersk Bogusi? - I ask naively.
- P******o you? - he looks at me as if I'm crazy.
- I would buy Wloclawek.
- For half a bubble? It might not be enough.
- Well more I wouldn't give anyway. Even if I had1.
The cited quote became a kind of inspiration for this essay. In an unceremonious yet synthetic way, it shows the attitude of many residents of our country to the place where they live, in the face of its degradation.
Architecture is a shelter. A cave, a hut in the forest. This was its original role, which brought it into existence. Over the millennia this role has evolved, but one thing has remained constant - architecture is indispensable to us. So from architecture we will not escape. It has always been, is and will be, more durable than many a generation that has been in this world, than many an idea that has taken hold of it. It is viewed not only by us, but it was viewed by our grandparents, it will be viewed by our children. It seems important, therefore, that this architecture, and therefore the space between it, be shaped accordingly. Today the slogans of "integrated development" are fashionable, it's just a pity that in Poland it refers mainly to the environment, not the quality of space.
Catskills and gargoyles
As Piotr Szarzynski writes in his book "The Scream of Space":
We have 800 cities and towns and 50,000 villages in the country. And I doubt that among them there is even one such place, where - from an urban planning point of view - there would be nothing to cling to. We live in an environment that is non-functional, unfriendly and simply ugly2.
He further adds:
For contemporary Polish ugliness has changed its costume from a gruff local one to a colorful, pseudo-European one. From natural ugliness to kitsch and caricature of beauty. [...] And those who produce it are sanctimoniously convinced that they are making themselves and others pretty3.
Here the author compares the quality of space during the communistera and today. He says that it was ugly in the People's Republic, but no one, unlike the current situation, pretended otherwise4. Today we are inundated with advertisements, trash, "pseudo"style gargoyles and dog poop on lawns, but we don't seem to notice it all. Or maybe we've just learned to live with it.
By specialists and sensitive observers, the multiplying problems in Polish space are enumerated like a mantra: concrete instead of greenery, turning away from rivers, urban sprawl, fencing off space that fosters isolated areas and often encourages pathological activities (spraying concrete barriers), screaming colors (so-called. pastelosis), ubiquitous advertisements, gargoyle housesthat create a spatial "catnip", garbage in the streets, parking lots raking more and more urban spaces. The solution to some of these lies with the authorities, architects and urban planners. However, a sizable part is a task for every citizen. The question is, is it a feasible task, since, as Tomasz Jastrun once said, "Poland is not a country for lovers of detail"?
In 2008, the Public Opinion Research Center asked Poles the question: who is responsible for the aesthetics of their surroundings? More than forty-seven percent of respondents were of the opinion that the local authorities of individual localities, nearly twenty-four believed that this was the task of architects and urban planners, only twelve placed this responsibility on homeowners and members of housing communities [...]. Only a little more than seven percent indicated that the responsibility for the quality of architecture lies with the owners. [...] The exterior appearance of the building was most important to sixteen percent of respondents, and the integration of the house into the surrounding development was indicated by one in fifty respondents5.
We further read:
[...] seventy-four percent of Warsaw residents admitted that advertisements on the streets are a valuable source of information for them, and sixty-seven "liked to see them." According to sixty-five percent, the ads make Warsaw brighter and more colorful. The same number of people thought that the ads made the capital resemble a real European city6.
Almost all Poles (ninety-eight percent) believe that it is better to live and work in a nice environment. The survey shows that Poland is a nice country. Eight out of ten Poles say they like the locality in which they live. Half think their building, its surroundings and public facilities in the neighborhood are nice. Reassured by the state of their space, Poles stop caring about it. The percentage of people interested in the subject is falling. In 2005, it was eighty percent. Five years later, five percent less7.
Surveys indicate unequivocally. It's ugly in Poland, but it seems that this ugliness is noticed only by a handful of "enthusiasts" who, thanks to their education or greater sensitivity, see the problems.
you praise others, you do not know your own
Piotr Sarzynski included in his book8 texts previously published in Polityka. He writes that after one of them was published in the weekly, he stirred up a stormy discussion. The article talked about his subjective list of the fifteen ugliest things in the new Poland. Readers wrote in, pointing out more ugly elements in Polish space. As the author writes:
Interestingly, I received the most votes of support from compatriots living abroad. Could it be that only remoteness allows us to gain distance and see the ugliness of our surroundings? "9
We live every day in this chaos and in a sense we are used to it. We (we Poles) go on vacation abroad, come back praising the architecture there, then treat the historic facade of our family home with Styrofoam and paint it a shade of "angry" green. It's as if we don't seem to notice that spatial order doesn't depend on tourist traffic, world-famous monuments, or the Mediterranean climate. Somehow we don't see our own fault in all this. It seems that in order to see the problem, one must go into long-term exile.
a matter of taste
Not all of it, I admit. But I don't want to discuss tastes. For example, there are elements of Dubai architecture that I would not install on my house. But it's not my role to judge.
A statement by the former mayor of Karpacz, Bogdan Malinowski, when asked if he liked the Golebiewski hotel built there during his term10.
A question for a separate discussion is why such an absurd object was built and who is responsible for it. On the other hand, one fact draws attention here - hiding from the answer with the famous "tastes are not discussed". And this is another problem. When in our country an accusation is made that something colloquially speaking "is not nice," the most common response, which at the same time closes the whole discussion, is: "tastes are not discussed". The end. The discussion is not continued, it simply does not exist at all.
Surveys that have been carried out show that Poles are not familiar with architecture and cannot discuss it. It seems to be one of the most forgotten by the general public in the broader field of art. Everyone is able to name at least a few famous painters or composers, but if you ask about architects, with the answer will be much worse. Moreover, Poles are unable to distinguish even basic architectural styles11.
And already the ancient Greeks knew that beauty is not just a subjective feeling. Yes, each of us may have our own preferences. But harmonious proportions, based on mathematical calculations (which are how objective), are no longer a matter of mere "taste." But this "taste" of ours has become a buzzword behind which Poles like to hide their lack of knowledge and education in aesthetics, their uncertainty about the validity of their preferences or simply their lack of interest in the subject.
On the other hand, surveys show that there is an apparent attachment to beauty among respondents. Although this beauty they cannot define.
What Johnny won't learn, John won't be able to do
So why is space in Poland in such a bad state? As the first reason, Prośniewski cites the prioritization of function and economics over aesthetics, the second reason is the myth of noble freedom and distrust of authority, which contributes to a lack of respect for the common, while the third reason is the lack of proper education12.
263 hours. That's how much time second-grade elementary school students in Liechtenstein spend in lessons about art. In total, for the first nine years of schooling, they will have 2304 hours. [...] Over the nine years of elementary and middle school, Polish children spend no more than 255 hours in lessons devoted to art13.
And it's surprising that many people find it easy to get the colors of their outfits right, and more difficult to make the color of their homes match their surroundings14.
And since we can't choose it ourselves, we go to a specialist. However, as a specialist we do not consider, as it should be, an architect, but a "professional" who is to paint the facade. We consider the "professional's" experience in painting (not designing) the facade as the basis of his supposed knowledge in this area. "Professional" shows a template consisting of several rather random colors, sometimes half of which can be considered quite controversial (read: "angry" green), but the investor obediently listens to the advice. After all, he himself has even less knowledge on the subject, and since his neighbor painted like this, he can't be worse. And to shout this fact is best with an even brighter color.
Here the great role of public education in the aesthetics of space is shown. Certainly, good role models are also needed. The authorities (at every level) should surround themselves with advisors in this field, so that they can properly regulate certain problems from above. However, making changes in the law is a long process, and it takes years to wait for the effects. Therefore, it is equally important to conduct parallel grassroots activities, the effect of which can be seen more quickly.
Education can be carried out in many ways: through consultations and community meetings (within the framework of revitalization programs or not), through publications (about heritage, place identity, hinting at how to take care of common space), through workshops. It is important to reach the largest possible audience, of different ages and social status.
it's nothing with us
In 2012, one of the most prestigious architectural magazines in the world - Mark Magazine - published an issue dedicated to Poland. It featured a map presenting the most interesting architectural studios in the country. It clearly showed that what is interesting and important in Polish architecture tends to happen in the big cities - Warsaw, Wroclaw, Upper Silesia and Krakow. All the rest is virtually irrelevant15.
Education should concern not only the residents of large cities, but also, and perhaps especially, those in smaller cities. In larger cities, access to culture and knowledge in general is easier. Often there are thriving neighborhood councils that have the revitalization of the immediate area at heart. This is one of the best ways for grassroots action.
Small cities lack such entities. On the other hand, what can contribute to the revitalization of small towns is the high sentiment of the local community towards where they live. Forty-nine percent of the residents of these cities have lived in them since birth16. As the report, "The Lights of a Small Town. How do you live in the smallest Polish cities?" from 2017, a longing for the old, richer infrastructure, cultural centers, train stations, and a richer social fabric can be seen in the residents of these localities.17 This is a good basis for carrying out revitalization activities. Residents need the right knowledge to take proper care of their immediate space.
common does not mean nobody's
It is important to take responsibility for the common space of each of us individually, so that it does not become "nobody's". Authorities and architects cannot control everything.
Law alone, moreover, is not enough. Spatial savoir-vivreis important, which tells us to remember that a house erected on a private plot is viewed by everyone. Its appearance is therefore not just a private matter. While one can sometimes shock with a defiant outfit, a house - certainly not. A man in a flashy T-shirtand shorts will one day leave an opera or a banquet, a poky building will not move even a millimeter for decades18.
Educating the public can be an effective and (relatively) quick tool in revitalization efforts. It is necessary to create good patterns, which will have a domino effect on raising the standard of public spaces. It is necessary to make the public aware that what our immediate surroundings look like depends not so much on the mayor or president, but on ourselves.
According to a 2003 CBOS survey, as many as sixty-two percent of those questioned believe that "everyone should be able to build a house the way he or she likes it "19.
We should strive to keep this result as low as possible in future surveys.
Maria JAKUBEK
1 F. Springer, City of the Archipelago, Krakow 2016, p. 163.
2 P. Sarzyński, The Scream of Space, Warsaw 2012, p. 55.
3 Ibid, p. 44.
4 Ibid, p. 43.
5 F. Springer, Bathtub with a Colonnade, Wolowiec 2013 (based on CBOS research, Housing in Poland - assessments and opinions. Report on quantitative research, 2008, pp. 23, 24, 14).
6 Ibid, p. 171 (based on a survey by the Chamber of Commerce of Outdoor Advertising, 2008).
7 Ibid, p. 61, (based on the Report of the Center for Public Opinion Research Poles on Architecture, 2010, pp. 2, 6, 7).
8 P. Sarzynski, op. cit. p. 43.
9 Ibid, p. 43.
10 F. Springer, op. cit.(Wanna...), p. 104.
11 B. Prośniewski, B. Wokan,Anioł najbardziej przykuwa moją uwagi / czyli polski gust architektoniczny..., Zawód:Architekt, no. 43/2015, pp. 39-45 (based on B. Prośniewski, Gust nasz pospolity).
12 B. Prośniewski, B. Wokan, op. cit. pp. 39-45.
13 F. Springer, op. cit.(Wanna...), p. 243 (based on the report Artistic and Cultural Education in Schools in Europe, 2009).
14 A. Szyguła, J. Głaz, Wspólne nie zna niczyje, czyli o podwórkach i ulicach coś dla dziecka i rodzica, Warsaw-Kraków, 2018.
15 F. Springer, op. cit.(The city...), p. 123.
16 M. Bierca, M. Chojnowska, A. Grabowska, P. Pieńkos, M. Szycman, O. Żyndul, Lights of a small city. How to live in the smallest Polish cities, Warsaw, 2017, p. 43.
17 Ibid, p. 9.
18 A. Szyguła, J. Głaz, op. cit.
19 B. Prośniewski, B. Wokan, op. cit. pp. 39-45.
The partner of the competition was Alufire
