The beauty of contemporary façade. Tradition, technique, technology
Authors: Świerzawski Jakub 
Published: December 2020

The article focuses on the contemporary diversity of creating facades of public utility facilities. Approaches, in which trends of the tradition of place, as well as technique and technology, have a significant influence on the architectural image and the beauty of the façade, are analysed and arranged. The elevation of the building plays an important functional and aesthetic role. It protects the interior against environmental conditions and, at the same time, is the characteristic feature of the building. The necessity of prestige, being distinguished in its surroundings and/or appearing in the consciousness of residents make the architects seek original, innovative and often beautiful solutions. The searches are multi-layered and depend on the architect’s conception. They become visible when the relation between the architecture of the building and the urban context is considered. Because of the geometry of the building and the material which is used in the façade influence, the perception of the building in urban surroundings, buildings of rectilinear geometry in urban space were analysed. The nonconventional materials implemented on the elevation or used in a non-conventional form may be grouped in the following way:

• Traditionalism of the material. Due to the technique and/or technology, the formal image of the elevation changes, yet remaining the matter which originates from the historic record of the implemented material. For example, ceramics used in contemporary architecture do not always resemble classical brick, however, its formal distinctness does not change the essence of materiality.

• Transparency and transience of the image. In contemporary searches, it leads both to the impression of levity and/or to the creation of an illusion, weightlessness of the building and creation of the impression of unity of the architecture with the surrounding landscape.

• Multilayering of contemporary shielding wall helps in introducing ‘additional’ functions into the external wall. Except for the basic function, the protection of the interior against surrounding conditions, multimedia, transparency, and energy-efficiency is also implemented.

The above relationships are described based on examples of the architecture of contemporary Poland. Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia (arch. Baas arquitectura, Grupa 5 Architekci, Maleccy Biuro Projektowe, 2017), fitted in the historic frontage shows the new form of traditional material-brick. The impression of transparency of the building is shown on the complex, glass elevation of The Polin Museum in Warsaw (arch. Lahdelma& Mahlamäki, 2013) standing among residential blocks. In contrast, the multimedia façade of the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures in Lublin (arch. Bolesław Stelmach, Biuro Architectoniczne Stelmach i Partnerzy, 2015) relates to the function of the building and the space of the urban square where it is located. The suggested approach shows that architectural innovation is manifested by the search for solutions to contemporary multi-layered materiality of shielding walls