2024 Features and seminars

Anna Essler-Lango, Kamil Domachowski, Jakub Bladowski, Marcin Maraszek & Maciej Kaufman, Marcin Szczelina

Discussion: "Between Ideals and reality: Challenges of the modern architect"

Panelists:
Anna Essler-Lango - APA Wojciechowski Trójmiasto
Kamil Domachowski - IFAgroup
Jakub Bladowski - Roark Studio
Marcin Maraszek & Maciej Kaufman - Archigrest
Moderator: Marcin Szczelina

The discussion will focus on the challenges faced by modern architects as they navigate the tension between their ideals and the expectations and realities of the market. Participants include Kamil Domachowski, head of the IFA Group studio in Gdańsk, and Anna Essler-Lango, partner and board member of APA Wojciechowska Architekci, who leads the firm's Tricity branch. They will share their experiences in designing and managing an architectural office. Joining them will be Jakub Bladowski, founder of Roark Studio, and Maciej Kaufman, co-founder of Archigrest. The panel will be moderated by Marcin Szczelina, an architecture critic and curator. The discussion will focus on how to find the right balance between creative ambitions, sustainable design, and the practical demands of the market, with particular attention to the realities of working in the Tricity area.

Anna Essler-Lango - APA Wojciechowski Trójmiasto
Architect, partner, and board member at APA Wojciechowski Architekci, Anna Essler-Lango leads the Tricity branch of the firm. An experienced architect and graduate of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, she has been with APA Wojciechowski Architekci since 2019, managing the Tricity office since mid-2024. Her work includes office and mixed-use projects such as DOKI-Office in Gdańsk, Nova Silesia in Katowice, and B10 in Wrocław, as well as residential projects like Riverview II in Gdańsk.

Kamil Domachowski - IFAgroup
Architect and graduate of Gdańsk University of Technology, Kamil Domachowski founded the IFAgroup studio in 2014, completing numerous individual homes, including award-winning designs, and public buildings. In spring 2024, he was named one of the winners of the "Europe 40under40® program for 2023-2024," recognizing 40 of the "most promising talents in architecture and design" under 40 years old.

Jakub Bladowski - Roark Studio
Architect, Jakub Bladowski has led the award-winning Roark Studio since 2015, specializing in the premium market and revitalization projects. He is also a co-owner of Designbotic, Poland's first architectural technology company, founded in 2020. His work focuses on studying the impact of urban factors on users' health and well-being, with a particular interest in applying technology and contemporary scientific knowledge to design and architecture.

Marcin Maraszek and Maciej Kaufman - Archigrest 
Marcin Maraszek and Maciej Kaufman are the founders of the Archigrest architectural firm, which engages in research and unconventional educational and workshop projects. Their work is inspired by "the ruins of the future," including unrealized and forgotten visions of a better tomorrow, abandoned construction sites, and spaces reclaimed by nature. Their practice is rooted in thorough research and local conditions, and they form interdisciplinary teams of experts for specific projects.

Marcin Szczelina - Moderator
An architecture critic and curator, Marcin Szczelina is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Architecture Snob magazine. Since 2014, he has been an expert for the European Mies van der Rohe Award and served as a juror and Advisory Board member for the Czech Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023. He is also an expert with the Climate Leadership Programme under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme