This article attempts to organize the activities that have been carried out in the recent decades in relation to historic barracks located in Poland, in comparison to the analogous processes taking place abroad. It presents examples of old post-military complexes whose function has recently been changed. There are two approaches to the adaptation of these buildings: enclosing in the historic context (“playing at barracks”) and contrasting with the historic background (“playing with barracks”).

This article attempts to organize the activities that have been carried out in the recent decades in relation to historic barracks located in Poland, in comparison to the analogous processes taking place abroad. It presents examples of old post-military complexes whose function has recently been changed. There are two approaches to the adaptation of these buildings: enclosing in the historic context (“playing at barracks”) and contrasting with the historic background (“playing with barracks”).