The Architecture of Warsaw of the Second Republic. The Warsaw School of Architecture Against a Backdrop of the Cultural Changes of the Interwar Period

The author deals with the architecture of mid-war Warsaw but she presents it in a very wide anthropological context – aesthetic, cultural, social, technical, philosophical, economic… Therefore, in this book everyone can find something inspiring–appreciate the beauty of the presented objects, understand their functions, learn about the history of Warsaw, find a connection with the present, and first of all, learn to “read architecture”–notice how much it can tell us about the societies that created it.

…“The Architecture of Warsaw of the Second Republic” is a book containing just about a complete over view of social ideas and artistic programs, urban and cultural policy, and organizational and administrative constraints applied in the practice of architecture of the discussed period. There is also a discussion of the myths and traditions that were referred to and the schools of architecture and artistic groups that created or inspired it. It also describes the achievements of the most renowned designers of that time. All this is done with extensive erudition and familiarity with literary, artistic, and even philosophical contexts… This is especially true as in the form applied by the author, the interwar period is presented as a period that was truly fruitful and rich in both ideas and their implementation. Looking from a perspective of postwar achievements in this field, it stirs admiration and envy.

From the preface by Andrzej Mencwel