The paper presents Krakow town houses from 1890-1939 and the decoration of their facades designed by renowned architects, these houses and facades deserving attention due to their artistic value. The historical ... więcej

The paper presents Krakow town houses from 1890-1939 and the decoration of their facades designed by renowned architects, these houses and facades deserving attention due to their artistic value. The historical and photographic documentation of Krakow town houses became a starting point for a more elaborate discussion on complex problems regarding the architecture of the aforementioned period. The juxtaposition between the turn of the 20th century and the interwar period created an opportunity to show the continuity of the development and selection of decoration forms on facades and changes in the functional arrangement of interiors. This evolution was characterised by the combining of the strong local tradition with international trends, the individualization of solutions and stylistic diversity. Many of the Krakow town houses from the mentioned period presented unique artistic values, whereas technical progress and innovative engineering solutions were less important inspirations. Originality was understood on one hand as a new skilful juxtaposition of forms that were often used in the past and on the other hand as a search for new sources of inspiration and new decoration which was genetically connected with the national tradition. These outstanding historical buildings formed positive visual relations with the architectural context and expressed a dialogue with culture and the diversity of civilizations. They took account of the relation to features of historical architecture in Krakow and were significant for the creation of aesthetic unity between contemporary and historical spatial structures – the similar artistic features of the decoration of the facades of outstanding historical buildings and the materials of old architectural styles were natural integrators together with the building technology. The nature of the development of the land and the fact that a similar scale was retained also helped to achieve this. The aim of the study was to emphasise the importance of Cracovian town houses built between 1890 and 1939 for the cultural heritage of the city. The study also highlights the great need to document and properly restore a number of precious, ruined details and decorative elements from this period.