The Pro-user Revolution in Design of Military Complexes in the Interwar Period

Abstract

Imposing barrack complexes created before the outbreak of WWI represented the so-called “architecture of power”. Their stylistics were mostly historicizing directed at influencing the local identity with the notion of the strength and unity of the state. However, since the 1920s, the Polish Army was also a part of national policies of modernization and the tool for showing the open-mindedness and forwardness of the newly freed state. New functional layout incorporated improvements introduced in the dwelling houses by the building cooperatives associated with the “Werkbund” movement or Warsaw Housing Cooperative (WSM). This is best seen on the example of new types of barracks for privates and housing complexes for officers and NCO’s, which were to provide a healthy living environment and build proper attitudes of residents. For a brief interwar period, military architecture joined the architectural mainstream, shedding the historic costume in favor of advocating the modernization.