Looking for answers to the diploma topic „Prologue. You are in a small village,” which concerned the development of the interiors of the former Brühl Palace in Brody for exhibition functions, my attention was drawn to the problem of perception of the village. Perhaps because I myself come from a small village located in Kashubia, this theme has always been close to my heart.
View of the Brühl Palace in Brody
© Agata Werochowska
Between villagers and city dwellers, I noticed the boundaries created by the people themselves. Therefore, I focused my project around what we most often associate with conflicts and inequalities. I started looking for ways to show that connecting disparate links is a chance to create something innovative. My goal was not to get rid of boundaries or otherness altogether, I think that's impossible, and in some cases would work against it, but I would like to see in boundaries a source of progress, to cross them for the benefit of the community.
A-A and B-B cross-section of the Brühl Palace
© Agata Werochowska
"Borders are needed by people like air. Without borders, of any kind, we would not know how to live; nor who we are, nor what we have to do. Borders are there to show us that there are things that cannot be crossed," Olga Tokarczuk wrote in Last Stories.
The space is designed for children from different backgrounds
© Agata Werochowska
Since I decided that the space would be designed for the development of children from different backgrounds, I checked how the youngest perceive the areas. I noticed in the children's sensitivity a great capacity for tolerance, which I would like to strengthen in order to build a sense of community from an early age.
First floor and mezzanine floor plan of the Brühl Palace
© Agata Werochowska
In my conception of the interiors, I found room for both a manual art workshop, where children learn the importance of manual creation, and a room where they can develop digital creativity. In the central part I located a common room, open to all visitors. It is here that participants have the opportunity to exhibit their works, as well as to inspire themselves and combine seemingly disparate fields of art. By creating a space for children and young people, I emphasized the importance of co-creation and the timelessness of crafts and art, which, thanks to new solutions and techniques, will never fade away, and children are expected to bring sincerity and authenticity to this space.
furniture in the zone for learning digital and manual techniques
© Agata Werochowska
It is also important to reinforce the value of observation, so I paid special attention to objects that will highlight particular frames and views. Users have a chance to notice them and look for them on their own. The proposed mezzanine provides a view of what is going on around them from different perspectives. Perforations in the plywood tiles placed in both window and furniture elements are meant to encourage users to focus on selected frames. I tried to differentiate the tiles with the use of various patterns, so that they represent a clear and understandable use. The furnishings, thanks to the use of rails on which I placed sliding walls, have a high possibility of change.
Brühl Palace interior adaptation project
© Agata Werochowska
The highlight of the interior is the common room, where an exhibition of works is envisaged—they will be placed on walls, which, thanks to the possibility of gentle rotation, allow us to look at a given work in a different way. Right next to it we can see the digital work, which is displayed on a projector.
Hand-made mock-ups showing designed furniture
© Agata Werochowska
I used materials in neutral colors, paying attention to make the interiors cozy and child-friendly. The project is in the form of a sketchbook with children's and my own work, hand-made mock-ups and proposed furnishings, so as to further strengthen the important role of manual creativity and to make the youngest curious.
Agata Werochowska
© Autorka
