The "Bene Merentibus" medal is a distinction awarded by the Association of Polish Architects since 1979 to individuals who have made special contributions to the development of architecture and the association. Importantly, winners of the medal can be non-architects and even institutions. This year, the "Bene Merentibus" medal was awarded to three outstanding architects - Prof. Romuald Loegler, Miroslaw Nizio and, posthumously, Kazimierz Ferenc.
As in previous years, the Association of Polish Architects awarded the most important honors in the world of Polish architecture at a gala ceremony, which, as in previous years, took place at the headquarters of the SARP General Board at 2 Foksal Street in Warsaw. The ceremony also included the presentation of the SARP Honorary Award, whose recipients were Przemo Łukasik and Łukasz Zagała, founders of the medusa group studio.
Kazimierz Ferenc posthumously honored with "Bene Merentibus" medal
This year, the "Bene Merentibus" medal was awarded to three architects, selected by a chapter consisting of Marek Chrobak (President of the SARP General Board, chairman of the chapter), Agnieszka Kalinowska-Sołtys (SARP President), Rafał Eymonnt (SARP General Secretary), Katarzyna Wiosna-Osóbka (Secretary of the Governing Council), prof. Ewa Kurylowicz (recipient of the 2015 Bene Merentibus Medal) and Janusz Sepiol (recipient of the 2016 Bene Merentibus Medal).
The first of this year's medals was awarded to Kazimierz Ferenc, who died on November 9, 2024. The content of the laudation delivered by Marek Chrobak, President of the SARP Main Board, read:
The Chapter of the BENE MERENTIBUS Medal of SARP is awarding this honor for the first time to a person who is no longer among us. Kazimierz Ferenc for his achievements as an artist, promoting architecture and urban planning in many fields. The laureate, through his activities, cultivated timeless values and new ideas that are at the heart of practicing our profession.
Kazimierz Ferenc - the memory of a legend
Architect, urban planner, local government.... individualist. With these words, in a nutshell, we can identify and describe the character of Kazio, because this is how we in the community addressed him. He was a Rzeszow native, born into a family of settlers from Hungary. Kazimierz liked to tell family stories from old Rzeszow, but also from his studies, where he came into contact with his colleagues who formed the famous group Anawa - Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz and Marek Grechuta at the top. He also recalled his fellow architects who later left their mark on the architecture of Rzeszow and whom he highly valued and with whom he practiced his profession for many years - such as Tadeusz Karyś and Stanisław Kokoszka.
In my opinion, Kazimierz Ferenc was an outstanding architect, but not fully fulfilled. There is virtually nothing left of his winning competition entry for the new Rzeszow city center and City Hall. He designed a great church here, but a far more conventional work was sent for implementation.
In addition, St. Casimir realized a very successful complex of terraced housing on the banks of the Wislok River (where, by the way, he also created a brilliantly arranged house of his own). In time, this beautiful location became part of downtown Rzeszow.
Later, Kazimierz became more and more involved with the administration - he was among the dozens of "Solidarity" activists who, on the nomination of Tadeusz Mazowiecki, took up positions as governors in the administration of the fledgling independent Poland. They were the ones in the field who took "in hand" all the consequences of Leszek Balcerowicz's shock therapy policy. The new voivodes not only created the new administration and its new ethos from scratch, but also implemented the reform of local self-government and grappled with the completely unknown phenomenon of unemployment. Above all, however, they had to give resistance to the wave of strikes sweeping the country, often led by union colleagues.
Lech Walesa's union assigned the best people to this task, usually with prison or "internment" experience. Among them was Kazimierz Ferenc, and the Rzeszow province, which was entrusted to him, was one of the particularly difficult ones. These are very difficult and dramatic moments full of challenges and difficult decisions. The first corps of provincial governors generally proved themselves, and most of its members later occupied many other important positions in the state administration. He was undoubtedly the most outspoken figure of this body. He spoke toughly, decisively, nervously, actually on the verge of a brawl. Because that's what he was - principled, commanding, not looking for easy compromises. A bit prone to emotion. A leader.
This style probably cost him his health. During the rule of Jerzy Buzek, he was pulled to Warsaw, to the Office of Housing and Urban Development. He became deputy minister there and worked together with Janusz Sepiol in the ministry. They dealt with spatial planning reform, and the law that was being created at the time came into force in a rather heavily amended version already during the next, leftist government. Kazimierz remained in Warsaw for years and held positions in various central offices. He always cited the Electronic Signature Law as his success. He was fanatical about the idea of the Chamber of Architects and contributed significantly to its establishment. He actively participated in the establishment and life of the Chamber of Architects and the SARP, with which he was associated, it would seem, forever. He was the first chairman of the National Council of the Chamber of Architects with its establishment.
It was to a large extent Kazimierz Ferenc who contributed to the creation of the function of the architect of the city of Rzeszow, which became Janusz Sepioł, who was already known to him. He often stopped by the Office of the City Architect for shorter or longer talks, always moved by some architectural news. Always close to the city's planning and urban policy. He was a member of the MKUA. Because, without a doubt, he was a man for whom matters of the city, matters of architecture, urban planning were never indifferent. It was his passion, his life. He judged harshly, sometimes even too harshly. In fact, he was not only sensitive, but also very kind. He tried to be always up to date, reading, watching, talking, visiting. He retained the ability to delight - whether it was the work of Marek Budzynski, or Sicilian cities, or photographs of Bieszczady nature, from which his wife Jola created beautiful calendars.
When I last spoke with him in June, just before the SARP board elections, we talked about the architectural profession, the challenges and pains of the profession. At the time, he advised me strongly against taking a position in the Association. He was very skeptical about this state of affairs. But he also pointed me in important directions, what is worth improving and what to address. Even as president, I thank him very much for this. He had been fighting and struggling with his illness for many years. When he was very sick, after surgery, in the hospital. He had only one request at the time - to be included in the new composition of the Municipal Architectural and Urban Planning Commission. I treat this as a symbol. Kazimierz was struggling for health at the time, but the affairs of Rzeszow and its architecture were as important and precious to him as life.
He passed away on November 8, 2024, having lived 80 years.
The memory of Kazimierz Ferenc was honored by the assembled people with a minute's silence.
Miroslaw Nizio laureate of the "Bene Merentibus" medal
The second person honored with the "Bene Merentibus" medal at this year's gala was Miroslaw Nizio, founder of the Nizio Design International studio. Awarding the medal to the architect, a laudation was delivered with the following words:
The SARP BENE MERENTIBUS Medal, established by the SARP, is an honor by our community of architects - people who, with their passion, commitment and activities, have confirmed that quality, aesthetics and sustainability of architecture, as well as respect for heritage and respect for the environment are important values. This year's Laureate - Miroslaw Nizio has enjoyed numerous successes as a designer, many outstanding realizations, and is an expert in the design of public spaces such as museums, expositions, exhibitions, memorials and comprehensive concepts for the revitalization of post-industrial areas and urban spaces. He studied at the Faculty of Interior Design and the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
In 1989, he established his own design firm in the United States. He won a number of awards and honors. In 2002, he moved his studio to a historic building in Warsaw's Praga district, where he created the Nizio Gallery and the Nizio Foundation (formerly The Creators), which culturally animates the Warsaw community. For many years, Galeria Nizio has supported young talents, budding artists, presented socially engaged art, promoted architecture and music, and organized numerous cultural meetings including children and seniors.
Nizio Gallery was established in 2002 in a tenement house at 3 Inżynierska Street in Warsaw's Praga-Północ district. At the core of the creation of this unique post-industrial exhibition space is the desire to enable a broad exchange of ideas around art, culture, architecture and pro-social activities.
Created by Laureate, Nizio Gallery presents contemporary art. The curators and curators working with the Gallery organize exhibitions of painting, photography, design and applied art. The multiplicity of curatorial assumptions, characteristic of the DNA of the place, makes it possible to conduct a dialogue with diverse creative communities. The multiplicity of interests also presented through intergenerational exchanges highlights the Gallery's key universal values in architecture and art.
The Gallery organizes numerous events that allow it to present the artistic achievements of contemporary artists from Poland and abroad. It pays special attention to young male and female artists, thus initiating and supporting activities aimed at developing and popularizing new trends in culture. The jury of the SARP BENE MERENTIBUS Medal today awards this prestigious honor to Miroslaw Nizio for his achievements as a patron of culture, promoting architecture and art as fields of great importance for the development of modern man. The laureate, through his activities, promotes timeless values such as truth, trust, community and beauty which the Association of Polish Architects respects and has perpetuated as law in its statute.
As the third , a laudation was delivered for Prof. Romuald Loegler.
