M A N I F E S T O
ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTO n°1 ŁUKASZ KACZMAREK OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2016
-3manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
WHAT IÂ WILL TELL YOU ABOUT?
(0) WHY?................................................................................. 6-7 (I) DESIGN PROCESS .................................................................8
(1) INTRODUCTION ..................................................9
(2) SPACE .................................................................10
(3) FUNCTION ..........................................................10
(4) MATTER/FORM/STRUCTURE ...........................11
(5) CONTEXT/URBAN SITUATION ........................12
(6) MAN ....................................................................13
(II) ATTITUDE .........................................................................14
(7) BIRTH .................................................................15
(8) DEVELOPMENT .................................................15
(9) TRAVEL ..............................................................16
(10) DECISION/FEAR/ETHICS ...............................16
(11) SOLITUDE/TEAM .............................................17
(12) WORK SPACE ...................................................17
(III) FUTURE ...................................................................... 18-19
-5manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
WHY?
The manifesto is an attempt (the very first one, I should add) to define so strongly my approach towards architecture. I want this short text to be on the one hand a summary of my thoughts regarding architecture that circle around my head, and on the other an chance to create a space for new, more daring theories. It is also a quest in search of my own architectural language – an inseparable part of professional and personal growth. I do believe that while reading this manifesto you will find something that inspires you, that will allow you to look differently at reality. If you disagree with something you read, it is for the better. Progress rejects stability.
-7manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
DESIGN PROCESS
1.INTRODUCTION
As a cautious observer, ask the simple questions: why?, how?, what is the effect?, what would I change?, what moved me?. We were given at least five senses. Make use of them. Use each of your senses separately. Engage them when you discover a new space! Architecture, all that surrounds us, what defines the space we navigate, it all speaks to us incessantly. All we need to do is hear it, allow the soft whisper to enter our heads. Architecture is just another language to learn. If we don’t get to know it, it will remain nothing but gibberish, an incomprehensible stream of impressions. Everybody understands this language differently, through individual filter of experiences and expectations. It is true that we create for others. We also live for others, as life for oneself bears no value. If it is so, where is the boundary between one’s ego and service to others? We can create exquisite worlds, go beyond logic and reason. We can do anything. Are the reasons that make us create, setting aside the social and humanitarian aspects, egocentric? Perhaps through creation we want to get to know ourselves, our abilities, understand our attitudes? We should see the designing process as the greatest value. The aim will never satisfy us fully. In this sense, the process is the most innocent phase. It should be a responsible game. A pretext to make mistakes and draw conclusions from which a project is sculpted. Project is a reflection of the current state of the soul. Unknowingly, we show our fears, anxieties, doubts, joys and desires. In order to design, it is crucial to look into oneself, as well as into one’s past. The past that created us, each and everyone in a distinctive way, is one of our greatest virtues. The individuality makes us unique. It is a cave full of treasures; but it is up to us how deep we will reach for them. Let us see our experiences, the good and the bad ones, as a never-ending source of inspiration and a guidepost on the designing road. Being an architect is an honour. It is a profession (?) that we will do till the end our lives, never ceasing to develop. Curiosity is a hunger that we mustn’t quench.
DESIGN PROCESS -9manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
2.SPACE
I occupy space. Shamelessly, foolishly. I often get lost. Sometimes I find myself. I don’t always feel. The space is not physical but it does not exist without the physicality that defines it. I equate space with architecture, for which I don’t have a definition. Space doesn’t resist modifications and exists only in our consciousness. It will take any shape but it knows no boundaries. Delicate and deceptive. It is both full of contradictions and completely genuine. The quality of space is defined by our senses. In order to experience a space, you need to feel it. One cannot remain static towards space, as it can be only understood by movement. Obviously, as architects we are responsible for the quality of the space we create. However, this responsibility is even greater. Our space-related decisions change the perception of reality by its users and influence their behaviour. Architecture changes our habits, sometimes even redefines them. While designing, try to primarily focus on the feelings, emotions and desires that you want to evoke in people experiencing your space. The quality of a space depends equally on the proportions, sequence, functionality, openness to change and the user, the intensity of light and the choice of materials. The space cannot expose unashamedly everything it has to offer. It has to be explored. It should contain a secret, an ambiguity, a sensuality, a sort of intimate relation with the user. Spaces are a foreground to our life. The benchmark for actions and decisions. 3.FUNCTION
Function emerges when the spaces is delimited (both physically and not physically). It appears both deliberately and accidentally. Yet it never comes to be on its own. In order to define and name a function, a body is needed. Birds use the holes in the trees for shelter; the homeless use subway’s ventilation grates as a place to sleep. Those spaces were not designed for such purposes. They do not need to be named. They exist in consciousness, but without a body (a living creature) they lose significance. A house without people is still a house. It will still be “programmed” for specific sequences of activities, but without a body it becomes useless and turns into a sculpture. A function appears in relation with a body.
What causes my concern is the oversaturation of function, the exaggeration in specifying, in consequence making architecture similar to a machine. Conscious and analytic composition of functional spaces should be an aim of designing, nevertheless it shouldn’t deprive people of their freedom. Function is not always the most important aspect. Afunctional spaces can be more beautiful and touching, sometimes even more perfect because they evoke new emotions. They shatter the traditional understanding of spaces. This cannot be, however, an excuse to create useless places (from the functional viewpoint). I dare say that there is no space that could not be adapted to a different, new function. If it is so, then every space is in a way “agreed upon”. It becomes useful in a certain way only for a delimited time (even if its form and relation between emptiness and fullness were defined by specific ideas and design plans). If possible, we should adapt what is “old” (i.e. not adapted to current needs). Let us not destroy thoughtlessly. Let this process be a test to our abilities, another step in our development process. I do not mean to belittle new ideas or fresh approaches. It is necessary to explore and broaden one’s horizons. Still, the past is a trace of our identity. By destroying it, we destroy ourselves. 4.MATTER/FORM/STRUCTURE
As I already mentioned in the chapter devoted to space (2), architecture is created out by materiality. It cannot do without it. We need to befriend this materiality, to try to understand it and to start a dialogue. Materiality is everything we touch and everything we come in contact with. It is the crackle of small, bright stones under our shoes, the coolness of the metal doorknob in the church door or the warmth of the coarse brick that we lean against to take some rest. Materiality has interlocked with our senses. What is form, if not a game between vacuum and fullness in a space? The relation of those two equal forces creates new worlds. The modern culture of the image makes us immune to the sensuality of space and indifferent to the subtlety of the forms. The worst thing is that we are losing of the curiosity for the world, not noticing the refinement. A building’s form should be closely linked with the ideological and functional premises. I would like to underline that I find the form, its proportions and balance really important. As architects we should create beautiful forms. A form’s beauty and delight over it can be shown in the materials used, the understatement DESIGN PROCESS -11manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
or subtlety. Sometimes the beauty is shown in richness, sometimes in simplicity. There is no one good solution. Architecture, as an artificial creation in opposition to nature, should constitute its formal contradiction. Natural forms should not be repeated in architecture. This choice is intellectually empty, banal and kitschy. The structure should astonish with simplicity and ingenuity. It should carry ideas within itself. Independently from external factors, it must create architectural spaces. It should guide both Function and form. I really appreciate the unity of form, function, structure and construction. It is a great joy to create an object in which all the elements are inseparably tied together and communicate their purpose in a clear way. 5.CONTEXT/URBAN SITUATION
We do not live in a vacuum. The environment and context, however fickle, in a project are equally crucial players as before mentioned aspects. Only an architecture that is maximally rooted in the context can generate life, start a dialogue with both the past and the present, and constitute a new benchmark for future architectural endeavours. What I aim for is architecture specifically for one place, for one specific situation. Singular, inextricable architecture. If a building fulfils the needs of the current times and is flexible enough to survive the expectations of the future, it will stand the test of time. If the intentions are unclear, soon it will become solely an empty form. In fact, every architectural intervention has an influence on the city planning. Architecture and city planning work similarly to a system of interconnected vessels. A poor city planning can mar the perception of a great building, an exquisite building can bring a second life to the city and vice versa. The scale of city interiors, like no other factor, influences the perception of the city and user’s mood. This aspect determines if we feel calm or uneasy. What I find especially entrancing is the dense, organic development of architecture which naturally forms city planning. The closeness of the architectural body brings peace. I believe that the cities’ growing appetite for more and more territory is pointless. In those enormous creations we see the emergence of microworlds which are smaller and adapted to the users’ needs. The growing distances that separate housing developments intensify
the feeling of loneliness. The city’s identity disappears. The wide arteries have their borders at the horizons. Every one is the same. Every one leads to nowhere. 6.HUMAN
An architect cannot do their job properly unless they don’t assume the position of service. Architecture is not only an intellectual race, but it also consists of taking care of people. Everything is interlocked. Architecture changes people, and people change architecture. And even though the utopian visions of architecture are fascinating and awake my imagination, I have no emotional bond to them when it comes to imagining living inside them. We build in order to enclose a body in a specific space. Animals do the same thing. It happens that we create shelters for animals as well. They do not want us to fulfil higher and intellectual needs.. This one aspect needs to differentiate architecture designed for human beings. We are tied to architecture by an emotional tie, we enclose there our memories; we leave a piece of us. We owe the same to the users of our architecture. A man creates for the body and soul. For the body, we adjust the proportions; for the soul, we provide space.
DESIGN PROCESS -13manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
ATTITUDE
7.BIRTH
With every new project I die and am alive again. I create and I am created. I will be a product of this process. I will change and grow. I will get to know something new. I will take the risk to reach the aim. I create my own monuments; I indicate existence by filling the void with myself. What creates us, creates our architecture. And I do not know anymore what came first – me or my architecture. 8.DEVELOPMENT
Plato believed that we are born with knowledge about the world and ourselves. During our lifetime we simply need to remember it all. Under a layer of poetry I do find truth in this statement. Of course we are moulded by our history and genes. We have no influence on the place of our birth and all factors connected to this fact. But every one of us has a function on this planet. The awareness of the function and its nature can be found only within us. We need to find our own path. It is the only way to find peace. We can give back to the world only that what is within us, what truly resonates with us. This is why it is so important to take care of our spirit. The richer and colourful your inner life, the more you will be able to take from it. The better you will be able to express yourself. This is the path to self-understanding. Regardless the discipline – listen to yourself. Act and experiment without reverting to only intellectual contemplation. Let your own intuition guide you. One step at a time. What will help us to progress is overstepping our own boundaries and leaving the comfort zone. What can also help is asking questions and humble listening to the questions of others – they provide useful tips. Look at how you can practice architecture differently, in your own way. If you have nothing new to say, what is the use of saying anything at all? Look around you and think about a new way, new idea for reality. Sometimes by breaking the rules you can create your own. Consistently, with no compromises towards your foundations. With each day, the world becomes more complicated. Can we say with the full responsibility that we know anything? Paradoxically, our consciousness is a safe harbour. It is worth to sometimes spend some time in the world of one’s dreams and wishes in order to carry out one’s visions after waking up. ATTITUDE -15manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
In the perfect conditions, while making a decision we refuse contradicting values and information. With every decision we grow. We learn something new about ourselves. On the path of decisions and risk we move forward towards a goal. Every effect is valuable, even if unsatisfactory, as it is on this path that we gain experience. The effect is an expression, always an unfinished and imperfect one. The knowledge gained with our experience should be constantly passed on. We are on this world only for a moment. Our material body serves only for transferring nonmaterial content. Richness that we carry within ourselves needs to reach others. I do not understand why we develop. It is an effort that we make despite difficulties. I do not know to what leads the constant development of our species, but it is in our nature. If it is so, let us do it in the best, the most efficient, the wisest way. Let us collaborate. 9.TRAVEL
In Madrid, there is no boundary between the day and the night. Porto wraps me up in colour. Barcelona is in equal parts irritating and amazing. Berlin doesn’t know who it wants to be. Warsaw is running too fast to notice me. I believe that every journey changes our life. Upon return we are no longer the same person. We mature and understand more. We are confronted with our expectations. We validate our opinions. Once again we look into ourselves. We feel a shiver under the skin. We take risks and enter forbidden areas. We try to have some rest on the path to the next point. After returning, it all feels like a dream. And this dreaming is addictive. 10.DECISION/FEAR/ETHICS
Architecture is the art of decision-making. Conscious, unconscious and felt. Intuition helps to make a choice. It is a way through one’s own world, opinions and interior filters. Without thinking about the origin of an idea, but focusing rather on how it can be expressed by architecture. It is necessary to open up to chance. Above all, let us strive to remain true to ourselves. Every choice leads to something. Designing is always accompanied by anxiety. This process naturally puts us in the face of a challenge, an effort. After all, we are giving out a piece of ourselves, our personality. We are put on show.
Wrongly understood perfectionism kills creativity. Give yourself the freedom for the project to be imperfect. You do not have to encapsulate your entire life philosophy and current thoughts in one project. Project is a balloon: if you keep inflating it, it bursts. Designing while being true to oneself is not enough. For a moment forget about your ego and career. Put yourself in the shoes of the user of your space. Is what I’m doing moral? Is my vision confining or freeing? What is the motivation behind my decisions? 11.SOLITUDE/TEAM
Solitude is my respite. At time it is a burden, sometimes an unbearable one, but a complete necessity. One needs to learn this solitude: spending time alone, organization, and, consequently, the responsibility for one’s own time. Everybody human being needs other people. Paradoxically, team work, which I find to be the future of architecture, is the place for growth of personality and character. It is the place for compromise and abandoning one’s own ambitions for the greater good. It is a space for expressing opinions. A team needs to be open and understand the role of sacrifice for others. 12.WORK SPACE
As architects we have the privilege and the possibility to create our own world in a fully conscious manner. Own microcosms, environments. To put it simply, a home. However, it is crucial to learn to work in various settings. It can happen that while facing a demanding task we devote our full attention to it and the place has no significance. It is worthwhile to differentiate between working “wherever” (change of setting, interior pressure) from working in the “intended” working place (where everything is at hand and the circumstances are perfect). Change of setting can have a soothing effect, can free our mind for a while and create a space for new ideas.
ATTITUDE -17manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
FUTURE
The last part is also the shortest one; there is still a lot that needs to be added. I approach the subject of the future of architecture from three different perspectives. The first one, linked with the present, encompasses the time that I am alive. What I can give to architecture during my lifetime(today). What I want and can change in order to develop the art of architecture. The second approach : what I can teach others. Third one, the most naïve one, comprises the reflections on the end of architecture and mankind, the limits of humanity, and on ethics. We create architecture, architecture creates us. It is an never-ending process. We are architecture, architecture is us. We try to rule space: the emptiness of which end we do not know. Where’s the meaning? It lies in creating one’s own world. We delimit scraps of reality that, for a moment, become ours. At least for a while they confirm our existence. It all happens in the present. Architecture fulfils the needs of both the body and the soul. It enslaves us; when facing it, we are naked. We unveil our fears, place our desires. Architecture protects us from others and allows to meet other people. It is unpredictable and fickle. Full of contradictions. Architecture is an emotion. Will it die together with the death of men? A road with no end unfolds before us. I have taken another step.
FUTURE -19manifestO n°1 - łukasz kaczmarek
There are no facts, only an infinity of interpretations. Fryderyk Nietzsche
Translated by Dominika Chmielewska Copyright © Łukasz Kaczmarek 2017 Special thanks to: K.K., A.K., R., E.P., M. Ł., W.P. Contact: +48 694 921 920 | basis93@gmail.com Second edition Wrocław 2017 Not to be sold
K A C
Z M A R
E K