The Planning and Architectural History of Piaseczno: The Experimental Village near Warka
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Politechnika Warszawska, Wydział Architektury, Studia Doktoranckie
Submission date: 2023-09-15
Acceptance date: 2023-11-11
Publication date: 2024-01-30
Studia 2023;6:212-257
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ABSTRACT
Immediately following the end of military operations in 1945, the whole of the country grappled with problems encompassing jest about every aspect of social life. In the case of architects, the most pressing matter was the rebuilding of the country, including rural areas. Various concepts emerged as to how to approach this problem in a comprehensive manner. One of them was the concept of an experimental village. Its author was Stanisław Tworkowski. His premise assumed the selection of a location destroyed by the war and its complete rebuilding over a short period of time, respecting Polish tradition as well as using modern materials. However, the most important assumption of this experiment was the amassing of experience and the creation of a model village with the potential for implementing it as a solution throughout the whole of Poland. This idea came to fruition with the support of the then Ministry of Reconstruction in the form of the experimental location of Piaseczno near Warka. The reconstruction of an entire village was thoroughly unique on a national scale. Well–known Polish architects, albeit architects previously not involved in rural subject matter, took part. Each designer developed an individual design that later served as a guide for the development of an all–encompassing plan for the new settlement. In addition to architects working on the reconstruction of Piaseczno, several engineers, planners, and surveyors were also brought in. Together, they created a complete design for the village, including the provisions of municipal facilities, roads, vegetation, and community buildings. The views of the inhabitants were important in the design phase of the experiment. Among other things, they played a role in selecting the design for the planned settlement. The ambitious plans and assumption were verified by the difficult economic situation of the country. Not all ideas were implemented. However, worth noting is the fact that just the designs themselves are of educational value due to their novel technical solutions and the use of unconventional building materials. This, to a great extent, was the result of the unattainability of standard construction materials. The idea was to unify structural elements in combination with a traditional architectural aesthetic that fit in with surroundings consisting of orchards and fields. Having made an assessment of the plan after twenty years, Tworkowski decided that it was a success in spite of many flaws and shortcomings stemming from the rapid execution of the complex as well as financial difficulties and an insufficiency of building materials. What was created was an architecturally cohesive village. After years of research on Piaseczno, including by the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw University of Technology and the IBB Institute for Building Research, this served to meet the educational functions of the experiment. After nearly eighty years as of completion of work on Piaseczno, research was again carried out on the village. Thanks to a visit to the site, the author conducted a study of the built structures, identifying the original, remodeled, and new buildings, inclusive of a description of the surviving buildings as well as an analysis of the layout of the settlement.
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