Maciej Olenderek

How to design within the framework of the existing XIXth century buildings in the eternal city, the city which was created to maximize factory and tenement owners profits. As part of restoring the post-industrial city space, fulfilling the PROREVITA programme directives, the authors attempted to find new innovative design solutions to the problem of light in architecture. The article presents the research process to the final solutions – to answer what is light, its role and how to solve real problems in difficult places, such as city tenement yard-wells. There was na attempt to systematize the hierarchy of needs in the shape of a directory of needed processes and further solutions in similar spatial situations. At the same time the areas most important for spatial effects and cultural values in the framework of the process of using light to reveal new historical building values and qualified as Łódź architectural heritage resource.

What was and still is free hand drawing as an architect’s tool for conveying the vision of an object, presenting the concept of creating, shaping the balance between the constructive matter and the creative abilities of the maker? Drawing serves as a presentation of an idea. The architect’s draught is the result of a dialogue between thought, hand and an idea. Creating without emotion is not art. Drawing is only a form of recording. It is an endless act of perfecting the author’s work. This text presents the main stages of development, examples of artistic narration, which is an alternative to the individual form of constructing conceptions of space and its critical factors. This article aims to explain the relations between life and art, which are analysed through two similar problems: how to successfully influence the investor’s senses through the use of the drawing art. The author (through presenting the rank of drawing in his profession) aims to prove, that the architect’s freehand drawing stimulates imagination, sensitivity, spirituals values, traditional aesthetics. It emphasizes colour, rhythm, order and dynamism. A work doesn’t have to be created in the virtual world to become the full interaction between the inner and outer factors. The architect’s freehand drawing reflects the unconstrained creation of the mind concerning the status of the form in space as an artistic event.

The authors of the article would like to present contemporary architectural implementations from the Łódź agglomeration region, which were created in accordance with the ethical doctrine - pleasure and avoidance of unpleasantness are the most important values, purpose of life and motive of conduct. The analyzed objects were designed in the first two decades of the current century. Cubature objects as well as hedonistically shaped urban public spaces were evaluated. Construction documentation and critical user input were analyzed. The aim of the analysis is to assess the phenomenon of searching for a return to the nineteenth-century character of Łódź›s buildings and the surrounding area perceived as hedonistic as opposed to critical attitude towards neomodernist architecture. This is currently the topic of widespread debate of the Łódź society in relation to the Urban Space Restoration program.

The level of appeal of city buildings and public space stimulates the strength of attracting people, collaborates with the creation of a hierarchical places structure model and decides their economical competitiveness. Therefore the hypothesis with a significant role in the city spatial structure and of importance in forming a city area landscape encompassing the Łódź Fabryczna city centre road and rail hub seems to be correctly defined. This foremost train and bus transit station area situated in the very heart of Łódź had not been granted the city landscape renown it deserves. Its role in the shaping of city image in the eyes of travelers and tourists is unquestionable. The city inhabitants have also waited years for the proper arranging of the road and rail hub, the improvement of underinvested and interlaced public areas, reassurance of being provided with proper travel conditions as well as providing this place with representative qualities worthy of a Central European city.

The article describes the issue of the effect of the concept design and urban plan on human behaviour. The authors, reviewing their projects from the last decade, present the mechanism of creating logic in shaping space and cubature, contained in minimal utility space and maintaining the maximal scale of using the rules of balanced design. The objects reviewed are: detached and duplex houses, single buildings supplementing existing housing complexes, infill buildings and multi-family building residential area. Everything was designed to be energyefficient. The result of this study is the attempt to evaluate the influence of the author’s architectural determinism (in various spatial situations and object structures) on the communities which use them.

This article presents the results of the author’s many years of research on the importance of rivers and watercourses for the quality of living in modern cities on the example of Lodz, Vienna and Mainz. The research projects along with concept designs covered the validity of programmes, possibilities of of restoring open near river public areas while shaping a balanced city climate through integrating riverbeds into its structure. The appeal of the Lodz region landscape emerges from the contrast between watercourses and urban structure of the 19th century industrial center. Waterbeds (along with satellite towns) added a certain character – the urban area intertwines with planned park areas as well as a number of watercourses, creating the shape of a circle with open green areas radiantly extending form the center.

This article is an attempt to summarize the author’s role in creating the chosen recreational complex designs with the active participation of the city inhabitants. The examples of civic group initiatives which are presented as program – function roles, designed and constructed as part of a large recreational space development program, started by the Lodz Municipal Authorities. The described projects and buildings encompass the years 2005 and 2010. The main focus lies on the „Park Kultur”, an initiative of the city youth, designed in the Teofilow district. Other projects, created with the help of the Lodz Sport and Tourism Depatment as well as Gorna and Ruda district inhabitants, encompass the analysis of two areas: Stawy Jana in Gorna District and Stawy Stefańskiego in Ruda District.