Współczesny, mądry i piękny detal

Architecture is, to a large extent, perceived through its details – visible in public spaces, landscapes, buildings. The topic of detailing needs special attention especially because of the deficiency of quality – a lack of cultural values and functionality of many objects, spaces and places constituting our contemporary daily surroundings. Observation of our environment with a sensitive eye, but also the data of public opinion polls prove that a general need and care for solutions that add to functionality, beauty, structural wisdom is not a priority. Objects that are designed and realised with care make a well visible contrast in comparison with common neglect. The opinion of Christopher Alexander and his colleagues can be mentioned, on the two tendencies in approach to the Earth’s environment, shown as two world systems – the one creative and supporting life and a destructive one. The potentially expected growing quality of detailing (meaning the general improvement of architectural quality directed towards suporting life) would require better education within design professions as well as teaching modern art history and schooling of perception for general public. Aiming for this quality has also a moral dimension. A short personal choice of examples, especially the ones reminding the time of early modernity (the beginning of 20th Century) may prove how interesting it can be to see what kind of detailing remains after rejecting of historicisms of the preceding age. The detailing noticeable in public spaces belongs to a large extent to civil engineers for whom spatial qualities should also be the aim.