The Contemporary Rural Landscape in the South-Western Region of Poland (Sudeten Region) - A Search for Spatial Order

Architecture of rural settlements situated in the south-western region of Poland is distinguished by its vernacular character - the so-called "Sudeten architecture". Characteristic features of this architecture are visible in pre-war buildings of Sudeten villages both in two-story and single-story structures and include pitched gable roofs, a wooden residential section and a brick maintenance section. Another characteristic feature of Sudeten villages, also called "chain villages", is their homogenous layout, i.e. a detached but uniform arrangement of buildings. On the other hand, buildings which were erected in the southern part of the Lower Silesian province after 1945, which was a new economic and political situation, evolved away from the pre-war Sudeten vernacular architecture. With their randomly chosen architectural forms, flat roofs, concrete constructions, inappropriate colors and excessively dense arrangement, these new buildings introduced spatial chaos into the homogeneous structures of villages. Due to the landscape qualities of this region, it is important to establish precise rules for erecting new buildings in the existing context, and to popularize traditional architecture of the region (e.g. by organizing architectural contests for contemporary Sudeten buildings). Such projects could help residents to better understand the qualities of existing settlements and justify the requirement to follow rules when renovating and modernizing buildings. The purpose of these actions is to create new vernacular architecture for villages, which will both fulfill the requirements and needs of contemporary work and life, and also harmoniously complement the existing cultural and rural landscape.