Idea

The idea of organizing the International Conference – Defining the Architectural Space of the Chair of Housing and Architectural Compositions IAD FoA CUT has originated from the will to create a forum, that would provoke the discussions on architecture. This need has been admitted to be appropriate for the present time of fast changes, that find their expression in the area of the architectural events as well.

The first meeting in the year 2001 was initiated wit the theme: Defining the architectural space, that raised the multi-thread discussion. Then, that receptive phrase was accepted as the motto for the series of the annual conferences of the Institute of Architectural Design, whereas the fields of the discussion for the successive meetings were designated by the themes: The Theory and Practice in Architecture.

• XXI – 2022 – Avant-garde Architecture, English | Polish
• XX – 2021 year comes with The Myths of Architecture, English | Polish
• XIX – 2020 year comes with The Truth and Lie of Architecture, English | Polish
• XVIII – 2019 year comes with Tradition and modernity in architecture, English | Polish | Italian
• XVII – in 2018 – Rationalistic or Intuitive Way to Architecture. The co-organizer of this year’s conference is The National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning
• XVI edition in 2017 refers to: Transmutations of concrete,
• XV edition in 2016 refers to: A house in a city – properties of an architectural thing,
• while in 2015 refers to: Games and play of architecture,
• in 2013 Description of Architectural Space,
• in 2012 Architectural Detail Today,
• in 2011 Durability and Fleetingness of Architecture,
• in 2010 – Architecture Now,
• in 2009 the theme was: Vitruvius’ Theory in the Contemporary Context,
• in 2008 defining the architectural space it is decided to take up the problem of the role and the meaning of – Architectural Work in the Space of Contemporary City,
• in 2007 the theme of the meeting was What about the Beauty of Contemporary Architecture?
• in 2006 the role of Architectural Material was discussed, paying attention to its material and ideological nature,
• the year 2005. Luckily there was no explicit definition,
• the year 2004. The discussion began with the question of beauty, utility and the architectural context. The following subject for the discussion was the problem of the distinction between the architectural practice and knowledge – theory,
• the year 2003, Architecture as Art,
• the year 2002, The Limits of Architecture.

Writing about us

Italy

Il seminario Defining Architectural Space è da tempo un appuntamento annuale atteso da molti.

I temi affrontati sono ogni anno diversi e importanti, tutti centrati sulle questioni del progetto di architettura e di città, il confronto ampio perchè riporta le posizioni di studiosi di diversi paesi, la pubblicazione dei contributi ancora più ricca, poiché riporta anche altri scritti. Uno strumento ricco e utile a studiosi, dottorandi e architetti.

Germany

The City of Kraków is by itself a great school of Architecture, a place where generations contributed forms and ideas, respecting their inheritance.
Similarly, the Conferences “Defining the Architectural Space” organized yearly by the Faculty of Architecture at the Kraków Polytechnic, continues the school tradition and brings a real place in real time for a real involvement of the conference participants.
It creates on the background of Kraków, an intellectual platform for search of authentic expression of our time.

Italy

I seminari organizzati dal Politecnico di Cracovia Defining Architectural Space rappresentano, da più di quindici anni, uno strumento critico di conoscenza dell’architettura contemporanea letta e interpretata attraverso la linea stratigrafica della storia dei luoghi, della città e del territorio. La compresenza di voci diverse e rappresentative a livello internazionale ha permesso in questi anni di configurare una ricerca articolata e condivisa sui fondamenti dell’architettura, sulle relazioni che intercorrono tra saperi della forma e saperi della costruzione.Centrale è il ruolo attribuito alla composizione architettonica, intesa come regole e procedure del comporre, come momento logico del progetto, a partire dal suo significato originario di combinazione di elementi in un insieme strutturato.

The international seminars organized by the Polytechnic of Krakow entitled “Defining Architectural Space” represent, for more than fifteen years, a critical tool of knowledge of contemporary architecture read and interpreted through the stratigraphic line of the history of places, the city and the territory. The coexistence of different and representative international voices has allowed in recent years to set up a joint and shared research on the foundations of architecture, on the relationships between knowledge of form and knowledge of construction. Central is the role attributed to architectural composition, understood as rules and procedures of the composition, as a logical moment of the project, starting from its original meaning of combination of elements in a structured whole.

 Poland

Dzięki wieloletniej tradycji i znakomitym uczestnikom, konferencja Definiowanie Przestrzeni Architektonicznej stała się znaczącym forum wymiany myśli w obszarze teorii architektury. Przez oddziaływanie na terenie Polski i Europy tworzy przyjazne środowisko dyskursu ekspertów oraz ważny kanał informacji na temat najnowszych odkryć. Doskonalone w kolejnych edycjach wydawnictwo konferencyjne uzyskało rozpoznawalną formę. Jest dziś ważnym źródłem wiedzy dla doświadczonych badaczy, młodych naukowców, doktorantów oraz dla grona praktykujących architektów zainteresowanych teoretycznymi podstawami sztuki kształtowania przestrzeni.

Spain

En nuestro efímero ambiente universitario en el que todos los seminarios y publicaciones apenas superan las primeras ediciones, la Conferencia Científica Internacional anual de Cracovia, “Definición del Espacio Arquitectónico”, no solo permanece año tras año sino que también nos muestra cómo mejora su análisis crítico, conservando su contenido en una extensa e intensa publicación monográfica anual.

In our ephemeral university environment, in which all seminars and publications barely exceed the first editions, the Krakow’s annual International Scientific Conference: “Defining Architectural Space”, not only remains year after year, but also shows us how it improves its critical analysis, keeping its content in an extensive and intense annual monographic publication.

USA

The Defining Architectural Space publication and conference at the Cracow University of Technology brings to discussion key fundamental issues of architecture design – addressed through scholarly research and from the perspective of practicing architects. As such it offers a rare and extremely valuable contribution to the discourse. The conference advances themes of both scientific and artistic value and debates these in a way that both expands architecture knowledge and aids in communicating ideas to the broader intellectual community.

Italy

Il Journal of Architecture è uno strumento essenziale per una ricerca emergente nell’ambito teoria dell’architettura. La centralità e il valore dei temi trattati, spesso in territori poco esplorati, contribuiscono al confronto disciplinare e accademico. Esso costituisce un ottimo strumento di ricerca e un organo utile e affidabile per il dibattito contemporaneo.

Poland

Wydawnictwo Definiowanie Przestrzeni Architektonicznej, to znaczące wydarzenie o randze międzynarodowej. Zawiera interesujące wypowiedzi naukowców, badaczy, architektów praktyków, urbanistów, krytyków architektury. Jest to zapis wymiany poglądów z cyklicznej konferencji na Wydziale Architektury Politechniki Krakowskiej. Istotna jest stała wymiana wiedzy – bo bez wiedzy i badań nie można mówić o nowoczesnym podejściu do projektowania i do architektury – Research by Design and Design by Research.