Manhattan in Wrocław is not only the first skyscrapers built in the capital of Lower Silesia. It is an icon of the city whose fame goes far beyond Poland.
Residential and service complex at pl. Grunwaldzki Wrocław - Śródmieście
/ Arch. Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak 1968-73 /. photo: Peter Olthof
We are all the more proud that it all started in Miastoprojekt. The preliminary design for the development of Grunwaldzki Square was drawn up on the drawing boards of Biuro Projektowo-Badawicznych Budownictwa Miastoprojekt-Wrocław and was approved in 1967.
The author of this concept was Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, the first woman to obtain an architect diploma after the war. She did it at the Wrocław University of Technology. Important works of the architect:
• The Recovered Territories Exhibition
• Mezonetowiec
• Scientist's House
• A residential and service complex at Grunwaldzki Sq.
Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, 1957
Associated with Miastoprojekt for many years of an intense career. This is how Michał Duda, an art historian, deputy program director of the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław, author of the publication "Patchwork", presenting the architect's achievements, told about this amazing creator: far beyond the usual patterns”.
Residential and service complex at pl. Grunwaldzki Wrocław - Śródmieście /
Arch. Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak 1968-73. photo by Maciek Lulko
Patch at the patch
"Patchowork" made a great impression on the visitors. The exhibition presents archival and contemporary photographs, films and models of the most interesting objects - both completed and those that have always remained only a concept. Why Patchwork? Explains Michał Duda, the curator of the exhibition: “The city that the designer found in 1945 was an organism torn to shreds that had to be sewn together anew. Despite the changing guidelines, fashions and current trends, the "patches" inserted by Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak are still among the most interesting today. Almost all of them occupied an important place in the collective imagination immediately after being built. By appearing on postcards and in publications devoted to the city, they proved the modernity of post-war Wrocław ”.
A movie show: Manhattan as we call it
The premiere of the movie "Po polsku Manhattan / Manhattan as we call it" is scheduled for 2021. It is an attempt to present the greatest work of the designer of Polish modernism as fully as possible. What do we know today about the production ahead of us? The guests of the film are residents of skyscrapers, architects and architecture experts of Jadwiga Grabowska-Hawrylak, curators of the “Patchwork” exhibition, building administration employees, and the architect's family. We will also get to know the point of view of the great British photographer, observer and author of reports on the countries of Eastern Europe - Chris Niedenthal. It promises to be a feast not only for architecture fans! And now, on behalf of the creators, we invite you to watch the movie trailer.
Architecture - our common business
We are pleased that the heritage, which is also what we want to show and pass on to future generations, is treated as an international issue, across borders. The patronage over the production was taken by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Lisbon. Strategic partners are Trienal de Arquitecura de Lisboa and Contentor e conteudo Associacao.
"Po polsku Manhattan / Manhattan as we call it" - a joint work of the Polish-Portuguese Foundation Entre, the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław and the Kova Production studio.
Directed by Filip Janerka and Tomasz Piech. The authors of the music for the film are Pin Park - Maciek Bączyk and Maciek Polak.
The film was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.
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Miastoprojekt Wrocław would like to thank the team of the Museum of Architecture for their help in the implementation of the article.