Świdermajer
is a distinct Polish architectural style developed in late 19th and early 20th century in Masovia along the railroad linking Warsaw with Otwock. The style was applied almost exclusively to wooden villas of the middle classes (mostly Jewish) and today, it's almost completely forgotten.
My goal was to show the role that architecture can play in the process of creating local identity, history and cultural heritage.
An addition to the book is a laser-cut box made from pine wood. A fragment of the pattern cut out on it was taken from the ornaments appearing on wooden balustrades of buildings.
The same pattern, this time in its entirety, is repeated on the cover of the book as a burn mark, created with soot trace. It's a reference to one of the biggest problem that remaining buildings struggle with today: arsons.
In the book, alternating with the text, there are cards containing archival materials – photos, letters, documents and press clippings. They outline a picture of over 150 years of history of the south-eastern part of Warsaw and neighboring areas.
I wanted to make the reader experience the impression accompanying the mapping of an old family album, in which not everything is in place, some of the characters in the pictures are anonymous and some dates blurred.
Book is hand-stiched, hard cover, B5 format, made in digital print on 120 g/m2 paper.
It is a graphic elaboration of my theoretical work entitled "History of the świdermajer style architecture as a background for the creation and development of the summer wellness resorts near Warsaw".
Used fonts: Merriweather and Poppins.
Graduation project accomplished in Book Design Studio led by prof. Maciej Buszewicz and his assistant Paulina Derecka at Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
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Thank you
