Gliwice against the backdrop of European architectural trends

As part of the Architectural Triad series, we invite you to two lectures under the theme “Gliwice against the backdrop of European architectural trends – from modernism to postmodernism.” The aim of the presentations is to showcase selected elements of the city’s architectural heritage from the 20th century and analyze them in a broader European context. The first meeting is dedicated to the modernist architecture of the first half of the 20th century.

Gliwice has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages, and each period of its development has left a distinct mark on the city’s image to this day. These traces can be studied by focusing on the city’s scale, analyzing them based on the period of creation, style, construction, form, and detail. However, it is much more interesting to study their origins in a broader European context. Architecture is the art of shaping space and, unlike any other field of art, it is socially, politically, and economically conditioned and has an impact on the quality of life. Its development is influenced by advancing technical possibilities, legal norms, new theories and concepts in philosophy, art, and social policy. Transformative moments in history, such as the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century, world wars, the cultural revolution of the 1960s, and the latest technological revolution, have had a particularly significant impact on the development of architecture. The effects of these transformations are also visible in the architecture of Gliwice.

dr inż. arch. Justyna Swoszowska
Architect, researcher, and historian of 20th-century architecture, academic lecturer. She collaborates with the Institute of Architectural Documentation. She is involved in the preservation of local heritage and social participation. Co-founder of the City Garden Gliwice Association, which aims to protect cultural and natural heritage. She conducts research on 20th-century architecture and heritage conservation. She collaborates with the monthly magazine Architektura Murator, where she writes critical texts on contemporary architecture. She is the author of publications on contemporary architecture and heritage conservation, including “Revitalization of the historic cemetery near the former monastery of the Order of Bonifratres in Pilchowice – an example of heritage protection in the border area” and “The art of transforming urban space – between beauty and functionality.”

 

Part I of the lecture took place on November 25 and is available for viewing below:

Part II of the lecture will take place on December 16, 2021, at 5:00 PM on our YouTube channel” https://youtu.be/duH-P_H3pPA