We have completed the online voting for the Audience Award - the best thesis made with concrete, submitted to the "Concrete Architecture 2023" competition. The nationwide competition was organized by the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology and the Association of Cement Producers. 17 projects participated in our poll and made it to the final of the competition. The largest number of votes (2075), and thus the first place was awarded to the thesis "Silesian Community House. Adaptation of post-industrial areas in Bytom" by Dominika Bednarek from the Faculty of Architecture at the Wrocław University of Technology. Congratulations!
The Concrete Architecture Competition has been held since 2000. As the organizers say, the idea was born from the conviction of the appropriateness of drawing the attention of graduate students to the qualities of a building material such as concrete, which becomes an element of a special game for the shape of architecture.
The works submitted to the competition are those whose authors have obtained a master's degree in architectural engineering at a Polish university. The jury's evaluation criteria concern the architectural values of the project, based on the aesthetic and structural qualities of concrete.
The Audience Award went to Dominika Bednarek - proj.: "Silesian Community House. Adaptation of post-industrial areas in Bytom".
© Dominika Bednarek
This year, out of 25 submitted works from 8 Faculties of Architecture, the jury consisting of Magdalena Kozień-Woźniak, Ph.D., Prof. PK (dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology, chairman of the jury), Prof. Barbara Gronostajska (dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the Wrocław University of Technology), Klaudiusz Fross, Ph. PŚ (dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Silesian University of Technology), Dr. hab. Krzysztof Koszewski (dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology), Prof. Tomasz Kozłowski (commissioner of the competition) and Zbigniew Pilch (head of marketing at the Association of Cement Manufacturers), selected 17 finalists, who were awarded three main prizes and three honorable mentions. You can learn the results of the 24th edition of the competition in the Competitions section of our portal.
© Dominika Bednarek
voting results
In November this year. Architecture & Business gave a vote to its male and female readers, announcing a contest for the Audience Award. Male and female Internet users were able to vote for a month for their favorite thesis project, from among 17 works admitted to the finals.
Thewinner was the master's thesis "Silesian Community House.Adaptation of post-industrial areas in Bytom". Dominika Bednarek, made under the direction of Dr. Mark Lamber at the Faculty of Architecture of the Wrocław University of Technology. The project received as many as 2075 votes! The author will receive a diploma from us and a one-year subscription to the monthly magazine "A&B".
© Dominika Bednarek
The work is an analysis of the contemporary fate of Upper Silesia against the background of its history, with the aim of outlining the problems of the present times and coming up with appropriate design conclusions. The proposed architectural and urban planning solutions are intended to improve the quality of life of the residents of Bytom and the surrounding area, as well as to be a modern showcase for the region. The current technical condition of many industrial facilities and associated residential neighborhoods is cause for concern. The historical outline provides an understanding of the complicated fate of the Bobrek neighborhood, where the target project plot is located. Economic changes have had a particularly strong impact on the local population, economy and environment, technological advances have forced changes in the employment structure and are affecting urban planning. The project is a form of intervention to draw attention to the situation. Functions have been selected to meet the needs of the region and the local community, including workshops, performances and services. The project also aims to encourage initiatives that integrate residents. To achieve this, it is necessary to bridge the lack of mutual trust, level the playing field and minimize the phenomenon of social isolation. The design building, inspired by Silesian architecture, is an integral part of the estate. Special attention was paid to ecological solutions, such as the use of recycled materials and increasing the natural value of the area through the design of the park establishment. - reads the abstract of Dominika Bednarek's master's thesis.
© Dominika Bednarek
The second place went to the diploma project "Aviation Culture Center at Przestrzenna Street in Szczecin" by Marek Szlachta , made under the supervision of Prof. Grzegorz Wojtkun at the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, receiving 1996 votes, while Wiktoria Zarębska 's thesis entitled "The Center of Aviation Culture at Przestrzenna Street in Szczecin" received the second place. "Inter caelum et terram. Memorial of the excluded," made under the supervision of Dr. Ada Kwiatkowska at the Faculty of Architecture of Wrocław University of Technology with 1208 votes, received third place.
When analyzing the results, minor violations were noted in the number of votes cast for the first three theses, but the number of votes did not affect the result of the plebiscite.
You can find the full results of the vote and all participating projects in the article Choose the Public Prize in the "Concrete Architecture 2023" competition.
