Architecture against time – longevity vs temporariness

The subject of this article is the problem of the antinomy of longevity and temporality in architecture. Excluding the so-called temporary structures, man designs and creates buildings with the assumption of their longevity. This presupposition is not undermined by architectural concepts, exposing functional and spatial solutions, opened to potential flexibility – variability. Also, ultra-modern designs of "self-adapting" architecture to the changing conditions of the context assume, indeed, the extension of its "vitality" – longevity. The aim of the research synthesis presented in the article is to specify the criteria which in shaping architecture make it possible to overcome the tension inherent in the antinomy of longevity and temporality. These analyzes, summarized with conclusions, were carried out in two complementary approaches: theoretical: based on the characteristics of the relationship between architecture and time, with particular emphasis on their exposure in the Christian sacred architecture; practical: based on the case study of the sequence of transformations of the church of St. Joseph Worker in Bytom over a period of approximately 100 years.