Agnieszka Kepa

Project Location 
Bielsko - Biała, Poland 

Topic 
Utopia Formal Experimentation 

Program 
Ephemeral - Cultural & Social Installation 

Adaptation of ruins of sanatorium "Stalownik" in Mikuszowice Krakowskie 

Project is the adaptation of the abandoned brutalist sanatorium Stalownik in small town in southern Poland. It is an analysis of the case of a contemporary ruin, which is also an example of a fallen utopia. The intervention and new function highlight those values, that building got during its decay. 

Even though the thought behind Stalownik (sanatorium for miners) was very idealistic, the building is abandoned for 20 years. It brings the question about the value of modern ruins and seemingly unsuccessful projects. Stalownik is full of contradictions: for some its an object of fascination, for others, it triggers fear and aversion. It is too new to be the monument but too damaged to serve its primary function. From the highly functionalistic building, it became an aesthetical attraction. During the process of decay, Stalownik developed features, that no new building can have. 

Stalownik is just one of many utopian ideas, that failed for very pragmatic reasons. Those relics of the last century, which are loved and hated at the same time, are present in the architectural discussion. The new function, the archive of rationalism in architecture, come from the belief, that even the architectural idea which seemingly failed, has still value and it’s still present in the culture in various forms: as ruin that is explored, as reference for other projects or even as a case study to understand the reasons of failure. The main aim of the adaptation was not to bring back the primary features of the building, but to explore and develop further those values, that the building got during decay. The appearance of Stalownik was not supposed to get easier to accept, but rather more extreme and provocative as it is now. Stalownik itself kept the function of the vertical park, the fortress explored by curious visitors. It is an exhibition space for the objects kept in the archive, telling the stories of other failed utopias. Its exploration is always possible through the new external stairs. The strong presence in the natural landscape has been strengthened by the new form of the archive, which is doubling the height of the existing structure. The form of archive brings back ancient utopian visions and makes the form of the building eye-catching and surreal. The structural concept of the archive is at the same time an architectural expression and it’s strictly connected with the concept of adaptation. Massive irregular pillars of the archive are cutting through the ruin, making the exploration of Stalownik uneasy and challenging, as it is right now. With the regular grid of existing pillars, it creates a mezzanine and an unobvious exhibition space.