Tile manufactoring in Biskupia Gรณrka
Individual graduation project in ExploreLab Studio, TU Delft, 2015-2016 Tutors : Salomon Frausto, Tom Avermaete, Hubert van der Meel, Peter Koorstra Maล gorzata Neumann : neumannmalgorzatamaria@gmail.com : + 32 484 38 21 62
focal point The graduation research was focused on the standardised buildings from the Communist period in Poland. The study made me look at the contemporary cities through a lens of tectonics of their architecture. The Polish built environment in a great extent consists of the post-communist standardised fabric, which originally utilitarian and austere, nowadays is being sheared from its modest detailing. The design task was to intervene within this context by re-appropriation of a former school, a standardised design from 1960s’.
widespread nature of standardised public buildings There are thousands of standardised small public buildings spread around Poland. Housing an essential local public function, many of them were successfully used for years. On the other hand, the stigma of being built in the time of the Communist regime, their bad maintenance or questionable aesthetics contributed to rather mixed feelings about them. The research aimed to find the rational, historical reasons for these feelings by analysing the process of standardisation and its effects on both: beauroctratic processes and design.
the notion of standardisation Standardisation, the centralised production of projects that were pre-determined on an architectural and technical level, was employed in Poland in order to build almost every primary school, kindergarten, library or shopping pavilion from the beginning of 1960s until the end of Communism in 1989. This highly beaurocratic process in the centrally planned system led to many problems that were mainly the result of the passive engagement of its participants, designers and professionals employed in the end of the process chain. The most serious detected problems were related to the poor realisation of the standardised projects.
aesthetic crisis The main research conclusion was that the standardised architecture struggles with the aesthetic crisis at the moment, however, it is not only because of the quickly noticeable flaws, cheap materiality and monotony. On top of that it deals the lack of the well-developed methods of refurbishement. It is common that the already austere detailing is covered with isulation and plaster, obscured even more from attention and care they missed in the standardised process.
two sides to the ‘standardised’ story Standardised architecture is double faced. On one hand disgraces, on the other – available and still in use. Because of their social importance they often form a crucial meeting place in their local environments. What I discovered while studying some primary schools in Gdansk, the buildings seem to be functional, and that is because from scratch they were based on precisely defined guideline, that took care of daylight, generous spaces, but also right proportions following the modular structure.
potential The standardised buildings, because of their central localisation and influential ownership could play an important role in creating new public spaces. The research uncovered that standardised architecture, basic, yet practical, has a great potential to become a generic framework for new valuable interventions, while using its hidden qualities to the maximum. This is were I found the design brief: the re-appropriation of a standardised building as a trigger for a non-standard city operation.
in search of timeless pattern Simuntaneously with the urban researech I played around the topic of standardisation viewed from a totally different angle. Inspired by Aldo van Eyck theory on the ‘complexity of composition’ and his fascination with Paul Klee’s drawings, I created a pattern of rectangular, non-symmetrical tiles divided into four trapezoids. Its irregularity and contingency force the change in the pattern’s rythm, therefore, gives the possibility of an unlimitedy number of various compositions. Yet, the strict set of rules makes the pattern highly standardised.
urban strategy The re-appropriation of the former primary school, a standardised building from the 60s’, into a tile manufactory aimed to bring crafts and small industry back to the city in order to revitalise the poor and problematic area in Gdansk. Most importantly however, by being a place of creation of new city mosaics it pays tribute to the qualitative, multi-layered city patterns. A turn towards crafts is not only symbolic. The traditional tile making process values and celebrates slow pace routines, hands on work and time taken to create quality.
architectural strategy: tiles Based on the same pattern, there were two tile types employed in the project. The change of function into a manufactory required big open spaces for workshops, which fit perfectly in the existing structure (central building) while using its potential flexibility. However, the austerity of the created open spaces asked for counterbalance: a multidimensional tile pattern that found its place under the window sills. The same tile pattern was used as an outer skin of the additions surrounding the former school from three sides. The textured elevation contrasts with the rather plain outer skin of the existing, however, it corresponds to the brickwork of the pre-war tenant housing.
main tool to renavate The new detail unifies the vast areas of the existing building and helps to read it as a whole. It also offers a new perspective on standardised architecture: highlights its right proportions, regular glazing as well as considers the modest, but still of a good quality materials as a firm, delicately textured base for the intervention.
achieved aim The goal was to create the contextualised and intimate architecture by means of the standardised components – the designed tiling system and the structural modules of the repetitive size and form. All new buildings are based on this module made of the standard materials which have a flexibility to follow the geometry dictated by the tile pattern. The interiors are purposely minimalist, made of the standard materials finished in a precise, controlled way with a set of the simple, but thought over details.
technicalities In the interiors, the conductive qualities of the ceramic tiles are used in order to enhance the heating system; they are glued directly to the insulated wall. The facade tiles are mounted to the wall with standard hinges. In both cases, the pattern is based on three main modules only (and additional roof and corner tiles in the facade), but none of the tiles are the same. Slight differences in size, color or texture are a natural effect of a non-industrial process of making.
social meaning The most publicly accessible shop and canteen are situated next to this main square, whereas the production spaces are slightly pushed back, although still noticeable for the passers-by. Nevertheless, the essential part of the manufactory has a potential to become an important public place in the neighborhood. Its spaces can accommodate crafts workshops, evening classes, local open air celebrations and parties. Hopefully, the manufactory will be a place of stability and work for many local people and they will feel encouraged to use it more extensively also for other purposes.
Tile manufactoring in Biskupia GĂłrka
Individual graduation project in ExploreLab Studio, TU Delft, 2015-2016
Tutors : Salomon Frausto, Tom Avermaete, Hubert van der Meel, Peter Koorstra Małgorzata Neumann : e-mail:neumannmalgorzatamaria@gmail.com : telephone:+ 32 484 38 21 62