Although architecture is essentially immobile, certain structural situations may require the creation of moving elements or even entire parts of buildings. In the history of architecture, such hybrids can be found in buildings with primarily technical functions. In contemporary architecture, this theme takes on new dimensions especially within the context of changing user needs.
The examination of moving elements also plays an important role in the strongly conceptual work of Robert Konieczny. At the “National Museum in Szczecin – Dialogue Center Przelomy” (2009), the facade opens as an entrance. At the “Safe House” (2008) and “Konieczny’s Ark” (2015), not only does the facade change, but also the courtyard enclosure and the drawbridge entrance, respectively. The recently completed “Quadrant House” (2018) takes the idea of moving architecture even further. An entire part of the building follows the movement of the sun, enabling a variety of uses.
Parallel to the functional flexibility of these moving elements, they also generate different creative expressions. Openness and accessibility define a building’s architectural habitus, as well as its relationship to the given context. The lenticular images presented in this exhibition reveal the virtuosity in which Konieczny uses the potential of moving elements to expand his creative repertoire – combining architecture and technology to form a unity.
Konieczny is a founder and director of KWK Promes. Since opening in 1999, it has become one of Poland’s most internationally renowned architectural studios. In addition to those shown in the exhibition, notable projects include the single-family homes “Aatrial House” (2006) and “By the Way House” (2016), as well as the recently completed apartment building in Katowice, “Unikato” (2019).
