Ustroń, Kozubnik - there were many spas in Poland. During the communistera, they experienced real storms of visitors. Later, they were forgotten - like Kozubnik - with windows yawning with emptiness, walls decorated with graffiti and stolen pieces of marble.
Although communistarchitecture may be commonly associated with gray concrete, clunkiness and brick-and-mortar houses - all in the fumes of hopelessness and lack of products in stores - nothing could be further from the truth. We recently wrote about the "Emilia" Furniture House - a modernist treasure of Warsaw. You can read about it here.
The spa in Zawodzie stands proudly next to the aforementioned "Emilia" in the first row of true architectural gems of the period. Today it is still impossible to pass by it indifferently. The sanatorium-pyramidsare perhaps the most recognizable spa buildings in Poland. The architects behind the creation of this distinctive building were Henryk Buszko and Aleksander Franta. The master plan included the construction of 28 pyramid-shaped buildings on the slope of Równica. A hospital, a sanatorium and company resorts were to be built. Although the construction of the entire complex was never completed and 17 of the 28 planned buildings were built - their architecture never ceases to intrigue and delight.
In this documentary, we will see not only Aleksander Franta, but also, among others, Przemo Łukasik of Medusa Group, Jerzy Dzierżewicz - chief building inspector, Prof. Irma Kozina art historian and Robert Konieczny of KWK Promes.
We won't reveal more - see for yourself!
"Spa. Zawodzie Architecture" was created thanks to the support of the Silesian Museum in Katowice, the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw, the Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland, the Rector of the Cracow University of Technology and the Mayor of Ustroń and the Head of the Cieszyn District.
The creators of the film "Uzdrowisko. Architecture of Zawodzie":
Director: Ewa Trzcionka
Cinematography: Roman Kałuża-Wierzchosławski, Kamil Śliwka
Editing: Kamil Sliwka
Producer: Mateusz Bielesz / Gromada Górali in Śląsk Cieszyński
Executive Producer: Kamil Sliwka
Light / Sound: Piotr Gburek
Photos: Mariusz Gruszka
Aerial Shots: Kamil Sliwka, Jakub Pacut
Graphics / Subtitles: Bartłomiej Witkowski
Illustration: Marcin Wolski
