A custom built Rapson Rocker has arrived to its new owner, Ms. Ewa Kurylowicz in Warsaw, Poland. Ms. Kurylowicz resides in the beautiful Nowe Powisle apartment complex, designed by her architectural firm, Kurylowicz & Associates. We are so pleased to share the photos she shared with us. The Rapson Rocker looks completely at home in its new surroundings. Shortly thereafter, her son Marek, wrote us, saying, "I had the pleasure to sit in the chair today. Great furniture. It's not a rocker only by name.

With over 70 employees on staff, Kurylowicz & Associates have a highly prolific profile. Much of their work is in the commercial sector, yet their structures are far from dull or run of the mill. As a practice, they seek to eliminate the too common division of social environments and commercial spaces. The Centre for Preventive Oncology in Warsaw is just one such example. The intent from inception was to create a calming sense of peace and harmony for patients. At the same time, the building emanates a message of superb care and technological advances. The pale silver exterior has a playful industrial aesthetic about it, accentuated by the Mario Bros geometrically shaped plots of grass in the surrounding landscape. The interior is light and airy, furnished with natural woods and vibrant space-age furniture. In turn, the atmosphere is a positive one, not one of boredom and dread that is so often felt in hospital waiting rooms.

 

   

[images credited to: Lukasz Czechowicz] 

Their adept, finely-tuned designs are not limited to large-scale projects. As mentioned in the preceding Q & A, the private house at Kazimierz was designed as a retirement home for Ewa and her late husband, and it currently serves as a weekend holiday home for the family. Although overtly modern in form and decor, the overall design pays tribute to the local historical building traditions. The natural lime stone walls, inside and out, along with the enormous wooden beams and ample wooden planking, create a tie between human habitation and nature. If it isn’t too early to dub a structure as neo-postmodern, this house is it. The forms are extruded, simplified and exaggerated, with a sort of light deconstructivist vibe. The stairways take on an almost structural quality, emphasizing the length and height of the house. Despite the oversized elements of the house, stairways, fireplace, ceiling beams, etc., and the actual large volume of the house, the spaces appear intimate and inviting, a feat that should not be under-acknowledged.

[images credited to: Kurylowicz & Associates, all rights reserved]

Caroline Engel for Rapson-Inc.