Gdynia will soon turn into the Polish capital of architecture for the 14th time, thanks to a unique event that for years has been drawing architecture lovers to the Polish seaside on the last weekend of August. What awaits us this year?
time to experiment!
This year's slogan for the event is: Experiment. What is behind it?
The slogan is, of course, just a pretext for triggering multi-threaded discussions on pressing issues, problems, as well as currently observed trends in architecture and city planning — explains Jacek Debis, director of strategic projects at the Gdynia Development Agency, which is responsible for organizing the festival.
There will be an experimental theme related to immersive architecture and immersive biological spaces, which will be discussed by Dorota Szlachcic of Szlachcic Architects, and the topic of designing in extremely difficult climatic conditions, such as in the Sahel in Africa or the Arctic Circle, which will be addressed by prof. Mariusz Twardowski of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology.
Architecture that is created in such places requires a lot of painstaking analysis, research, cooperation with dozens of scientists, researchers from various fields. Of course, the process of "living" or later modernization of such buildings is also a form of experimentation, which is one of the research and cognitive methods — Debis adds. — In fact, the cities themselves and their development, buildings, infrastructure, small architecture, are one integrated, multi-year experiment. Hence, futuristic visions of new cities, districts or neighborhoods are most often based on these historical experiences. Unfortunately, the experimentation by architects, has not always had only good intentions and bright sides.
One such example, the use of Ebenezer Howard's garden city concept in Nazi propaganda in occupied territories, will be discussed in the exhibition "Plantstoria" by Barbara Nawrocka, an architect and urban researcher.
The idea of the garden city, although today considered utopian, is still the core, the essence of many new housing projects, both developer and community. An experiment, even one that doesn't always hit the mark one hundred percent, can, years later, become part of generally accepted and acceptable patterns in architecture or urban design — says Jacek Debis.
Two such experiments — Auroville in India and Arcosanti in the United States — will be introduced to participants by Jakub Szczęsny, architect and author of the book "Asylums, niches and enclaves, or a catalog of small utopias."
There will also be local examples:
Forest Park in Oksywie in Gdynia, winner of the "Accessibility Leader" award, was created as a prototype, bold, visionary solution, which of course is also a form of local micro-experiment, which may soon become an example — an educational resource — a know-how for other Polish cities and centers of environmental education — Debis says.
Traditionally, the Architecture Weekend in Gdynia will also resound with local themes, such as the history of the design and creation of the city and seaport as an example of a unique experiment from the interwar period, both architectural-urban and socio-economic. Together with NIAiU, the organizers have also prepared a discussion on local identity, small and medium-sized cities in Pomerania, for which the conclusions and data collected during the international school "Laboratory of Regions" will be used.
A detailed program of the festival will be available on the event's website in early August.
brainstorming
The Gdynia Development Agency's 14th edition of the Architecture Weekend will once again be supported by Dorota Sibinska and Filip Domaszczynski of Warsaw's XYStudio.
This year's festival is a continuation of the many themes and discussions opened in 2023, including trends for climate, engagement, or empathetic architecture, among others. Dorota Sibinska and Filip Domaszczynski are architects with an exceptionally strong social commitment, as well as active in the community of architects, researchers or architecture experts themselves. They also have powerful experience at the stage of project implementation and subsequent "care", taking care of their users. Examples include, for example, two completed homes for the homeless (Janowice and the Warsaw district Włochy), the Center for Intergenerational Activity (Ochota), or an experimental school for Ukrainian children in an adopted office building — explains the choice of Jacek Debis. — Such a philosophy of work, action and cooperation makes XYStudio, despite their intensive professional work on projects, competitions, they are also great mentors, analysts and visionaries of contemporary architecture. They are eager to share their knowledge and initiate valuable discussions — not only within the architectural community itself, but at the intersection of different fields of knowledge and practice. As part of the planning, in preparation for the festival, we held many meetings and online conversations, but also a several-hour discussion, actually a brainstorming session in their studio in Saska Kepa — he adds.
experimental bonus
The slightly altered formula of the event will also be a bit of an experiment — the main part is traditionally scheduled for the end of August (from August 29 to September 1 this year), this year it will be preceded by an additional program — Archi-Bonus (from August 26 to 28).
These will be individual events during each of the additional days, but just as important for us as those planned in the main prime-time, for example, the opening of the exhibitions "Gdynia Modernism in Lens 2024" or "Modernizmy" — works by Maria Kiesner, as well as 3,4 thematic walks — explains Jacek Debis.
And where did the idea for Archi-Bonus come from?
We simply try to respond on an ongoing basis to the needs of fans, lovers of modernism and festival participants. This year we treat such a solution as a form of festival experiment — he adds.
The program will also include film screenings (Archi-Film) — there will be a pre-premiere screening of the film "Renewal of Architecture" directed by Ewa Trzcionka and Mateusz Bielesz, exhibitions, city walks (Archi-Walks), as well as Archi-Prelections and Archi-Discussions, their participation confirmed by, among others: Aleksandra Wasilkowska, Tomasz Konior, Dominika Zielińska, Monika Arczynska and Marlena Happach.
Although online registration is required for some of the events, participation in the Architecture Weekend is free and ticketless.
