Research and Conservation Issues Regarding the Southern Facade of Wroclaw Town Hall. A Case Study (original) (raw)
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The aim of this article is to discuss the colour transformations of one of the most representative Gothic façades in Central Europe—the southern façade of Wrocław Town Hall. Based on iconographic, architectural, and stratigraphic research, it was possible to find the remains of two stages of medieval colour changes. Based on these discoveries, an attempt was made to reconstruct both phases of the medieval colour scheme. The research findings enable the object to be described with regard to the architecture and colours of late gothic façades in Poland, Czechia and Germany.
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There are more than a hundred historic public buildings in the centre of Wrocław, adapted to fulfill modern commercial function. Against the background of today’s cosmopolitan shopping centers and office buildings, these buildings are distinguished by stylish architecture, maintained in eclectic, Art Nouveau or modernist forms. In the process of renewal of such monumental buildings, there is a need to reconcile the requirement for maximum protection of the historic material with safety and comfort of use. The multi-disciplinary construction design constituting the basis for the adaptive reuse of the heritage building must be preceded by conservation research and concept designs simulating possible program options. This allows linking the assessment of the value of the architecture with a choice of the matching function corresponding to the location and historic structure of the building. The further multi-disciplinary design process and implementation of such a project should be bas...
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The rational and intuitive trends in projects of reconstructing historical development were extracted in Poland during the period of the transformation in 1989 and during German reunification in 1990. These projects were subordinated to the adopted rules of restoration programs to restore the damaged space systems and to reconstruct of the most valuable development. A reconstruction of shattered historical cities forms a contrast with the modernist concepts of shaping an urban space. A redefining of the radical trends of the avant-garde movement of the modern style were discussed after a few decades and resulted in a trend of returning to traditional aspects of the beauty in all the form as well as returning to the classic rules of composing the façade and the urban complex development. During extensive reconstruction programs the return trends tend to reach the “sources” – a reconstruction of forms of classical architectural styles (of demolished objects that constitute national cu...
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At the beginning of the economic transformation in Poland, buildings constructed after 1945 were treated as symbols of an unacceptable system. Currently, the modernist architecture of the twentieth century is seen as an important element of historical and cultural heritage. However, the problem of its protection against a number of adverse events that may lead to the loss of its essential values and often result in its destruction has been recently growing. The spectacular examples include demolition of the railway station in Katowice (built in 1964-1972) or the reconstruction of a part of the historic structure forced by the protests of various parties. Therefore, the authors attempted to identify the key factors for determining the assessment methods of modernist buildings, and to find possible ways of their transformations. At the same time, it is essential to indicate the significant risks that result both from the lack of understanding of the needs to protect the selected objec...
Wiadomości Konserwatorskie = Journal of Heritage Conservation, 2019
The article presents the results of architectural re- search on the palace at Siestrzechowice near Nysa. At the beginning a description of the object is presented and the current literature is discussed. In the light of the research carried out, the palace was constructed in the years 1592–94 and it was funded by Andreas von Jerin, a bishop’s judge. The original Palazzo in Fortezza was erected on an about 60/90-metres rectangular plateau, reinforced with four bastions and surrounded by a moat. The residence was built on an about 32.7/ 37-metre rec- tangle-like plan. The three-winged structure was planned around a galleried courtyard, with a partition wall from the south. The façade received a regular composition with fascia and framed sgraffito decorations, and the façade was emphasized with a rusticated, semi-circular portal with the coats of arms of the Bishop of Wrocław and the palace owners. The interiors of the north wing were laid out in a two-section three crosswise-section system and it contained side wings as one-section system. Along the axis there is a hallway, on the east side there is a room with a polychrome ceiling, and on the west side there are two large vaulted rooms. In 1609, one of the rooms was transformed into a chapel and its interior was decorated with polychrome decorations including the coats of arms of bishop Andreas von Jenin and Charles of Austria and the coat of arms of noble families associ- ated with the bishop’s court in Nysa. The first major reconstruction took place in 1730, in connection with the transfer of the palace by Bishop Elector Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg to the management of the bishop’s main hospital in Nysa. The building was enriched with a tower that was built along the façade axis and the south wing of the palace was added. The design of the façade was changed by introducing a smooth detail on a textured background. The next stage of transformation probably took place in the second half of the 19th century, when the west-wing interior was adapted to a distillery, while in the courtyard new neo-Gothic galleries were introduced in place of the Renaissance ones. After the Second World War the palace was used by a state farm. In 1963 the tower collapsed. Security works began in the 1970s but the tower was not subjected to reconstruction. Unfortunately, the lack of the owner caused the collapse of the ceilings in the east wing. Further works started in 2010 and included an architectural research as one of the stages. They aimed at protecting the object and restoring its valuable historical forms.
The problem of preservation, reconstruction and conversion of historic urban layouts and historic buildings have been discussed in the article. Although some of the urban layouts and structures are not monuments by formal means, they are often being well protected by local law (Local Development Plans). Both the quantity of the original structures (very few remained original - many objects within the layout have been already converted) and the quality of the original substance and architectural layout - to little space, many elements which need reconstruction - allow to raise a question: Does preservation or reconstruction still make sense, and does conversion should be allowed. Several case studies have been discussed: Wolf's Throat in Gliwice (Glaubenstatt) - urban village layout set up by Germans in 1941, design for house conversion in Wolfsthroat and also Szobiszowice (Schobischowitz) in Gliwice - one of the urban neighbourhoods layout set up by Germans before the II-nd world. Authors of the article are practicing architects: theory versus practice have been discussed.