Polish architecture is getting recognition on the global scene. Among such names as Frank Gehry or Daniel Libeskind, Robert Konieczny made his presence as a young Polish architect by receiving the WorldArchitectureNews.com award for the most alluring House of the Year.

A Pencil, sketchbook, and unequalled enthusiasm. College, first successes, then internships and finally, his own firm. Humble, not one to talk about himself, but eager to discuss his life’s work:  Robert Konieczny, architect, 37 years old. Following the realization of his Aatrial House project, Konieczny received the WorldArchitectureNews.com House of the Year award for 2006, and his name now ranks among those of leading contemporary architects.

 In the fall of 2002 the firm KWK Promes was approached by a client with a request to design a single-family home; apart from being exceptional, the design had to be innovative and one-of-a-kind. The solution, says Konieczny, came to him right before Christmas Eve of the same year. Its execution required four years, and meanwhile, subconsciously, everybody involved in the project knew that this would be a crowning achievement on a global scale. Konieczny was encouraged to participate in the contest by his past business partner Marlena Wolnik, and learned of his winning the award directly from the press. 

 “The Aatrial house is a combination of contemporary forms and ancient ones including a closed courtyard which in ancient Rome was known as the atrium,” explains the architect. The Aatrial House in Opole, Poland, is almost the reverse of the atrial constructions of Roman times. The road leading to the house passes underneath it and emerges in the atrium, where the main entrances are found. Inside the house one has the sensation of unlimited space. Walls here are few, and the austere, flawless interiors are precisely thought-out. The Aatrial House is a classic example of minimalist architecture. Outside is a large pool, and a garden complete with birch trees, all compositionally integrated into the surrounding landscape. The building’s volume is in reality the transformation of a cube from the 60’s and 70’s, which was a very popular element in Polish architecture of that time, and here too, it dominates in its surroundings.   

 “People associate architecture with filth and disorder,” says Konieczny. And so it is with the Katowice train station, built in the 70’s. The association comes as no surprise since the station’s walls are dingy, shabby and display the symptoms of thriving vandalism. This unique structure, according to Konieczny, is a matchless pearl of architecture on a global scale which should be restored, not torn down. The station numbers 16 reinforced-concrete chalices and is, according to experts, a great achievement of late modernism. “We, as architects,” Konieczny adds, “should protest against its destruction.” He proposes to have the Katowice station include a commercial center and also be restored so that it might function as the city’s landmark: working to invite, not repel.   

 Konieczny, like the Mayor of Chicago, propagates linking architecture with elements of nature. Not only does this approach result in a feeling of closeness with the native environment, but also proves that humans can in fact co-exist with nature and be inspired by it. Green roofs are a prime example of this. And it is thanks to them that constructions demonstrate optimal durability, are protected from overheating, regulate the natural flow of energy, and filter air. One such project was a barbershop, on whose roof the architect decided to locate a hedge. This idea is at once a practical solution, and, simultaneously, one whose originality speaks for itself.

 Konieczny says that in his work he is after timelessness. People pass away but what they leave behind remains in the memory of future generations. “It is the thought contained inside a project that makes it timeless.” Currently, KWK Promes is in the process of realizing a project known as “the Typical House”, a house for every plot and any parcel. It is round, mobile, and is constructed in such a way that each successive owner may formally arrange it according to one’s personal taste. “This house is very flexible. It isn’t afraid of technological progress because it is designed so that new inventions can be integrated.”

 Already in middle school Konieczny was interested in architecture. “Drawing felt fun” he says, and his parents promised that if he chose to study architecture they would cover the costs. He was intimidated by the entrance exams and doubted his abilities. However, he quickly came to the realization that design was not only a job, a way to make a living and a means of self-expression, but was above all something that he loved. “There were times when we didn’t have any money and the office stood stagnant. So when a client called with the proposition of designing a building for a plot of land in Konstancin, I borrowed some money for gas and drove down there to learn the details.” The client’s idea was unconvincing; and despite the fact that Robert’s finances were on their last legs, he didn’t take the job. “There is something that I can just sense which tells me that a project is meant for me. I don’t want to take on a job simply for the money,” adds the architect.

 In 2000, together with Marlena Wolnik, he took part in a competition for the design of the Świątynia Opatrzności Bożej (Temple of God’s Providence) in Warsaw, and won 3rd place. The design’s main theme was a rainbow as the symbol of God’s reconciliation with man. The project, however, was deemed a bit too controversial by the clergy, even though it was decidedly the professional jury’s favorite.

 “You don’t have to go far to find inspiration. Inspiration is everywhere. You can’t just look, you have to see” says Konieczny. “My projects don’t share one particular characteristic. They can’t be pigeon-holed. Each one’s form is a spatial solution. The only element they have in common is that they come from an idea, the thought-from-above which always leads to an effective end. Without an initial idea you don’t know in which direction to go. However, if we consistently follow a logical path, casting aside any formal habits, the product will be surprising and successful.”