Exhibition number: SW 48
This is another edition of SPAW – the Silesian Architectural Review of the Region, organized for several decades under various names by the Katowice Branch of SARP, and for the past few editions jointly with the Silesian Regional Chamber of Architects of the Republic of Poland. One of its key objectives is the promotion of high-quality standards in contemporary architecture and, consequently, the education of society in this field. Although architecture accompanies us at every stage of our lives and in virtually every environment we inhabit, it still does not receive the level of public interest and respect it deserves. Emphasizing that architecture, despite its ubiquity, is an indispensable component of our culture has been—and continues to be—the central message of successive editions of the Review. By following subsequent editions, we can also observe how the ideas and perspectives shaping architectural creation have evolved over the decades. However, education in architecture is not an end in itself. It remains highly relevant and instructive to recall Winston Churchill’s enduring observation that while we shape architecture, it in turn shapes us. The functioning of architecture and its genuine social reception are based on dialogue—between architecture and society, and vice versa. In reality, this is not a dialogue of buildings or physical structures themselves, but a conversation initiated by their creators, often partially forgotten, who sought to communicate their ideas to society. This dialogue becomes more meaningful when we know who designed a given work and when, when we understand its broader context, and when it ceases to be anonymous. At that point, a deeper layer of architectural understanding is activated, enabling a creative dialogue that is essential for perceiving architecture as a vital, living value rather than as inert matter.
Piotr Średniawa Przewodniczący Rady Śląskiej Okręgowej Izby Architektów RP
SPAW Wystawa
SPAW 1
SPAW 2