DOI article:
Omilanowska-Kiljańczyk, Małgorzata; Scott, Mackay H. Baillie [Ill.]: Dwa polskie projekty M. H. Baillie Scotta
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14247#0160
154
MAŁGORZATA OMILANOWSKA
The second of the „Polish" projects of Baillie Scott is better perceptible. It was ordered by a Chludziński family for their
estate in Laskowicze (former province of Połock, now in Belarussia) on the Obol river. The first variant of the project was made
in 1912, the second one, designed for realization, a few months later.
Both variants of the Scott's project provided the construction of an identically planned building, the différence consisted in
the adoption of a completely changed architectonic costume. A location plan of a two-storey house was square, with four wings
united around an inner court, and with quadrilatéral towers nearly totally sinked into the corners. The interior disposition was nearly
identical in both projects. In the first one the élévations obtained forms in a style of the Wiener Sécession. The second variant of
the project provided giving to the whole building the view of a mediaeval fortified castle.
The interiors have been planned in a half-row disposition with a séquence of rooms in the outer row and with a narrow half-
row of a corridor-gallery from the side of the inner court. The main room of the résidence was to be the hall, covering the whole
of the eastern wing - its whole width and height.
The character of a mediaeval castle given to this building by Baillie Scott was motivated by the architect with its situation.
The choice of the place and the generał disposition of the building were to protect it against the severe climate and attacks of
brigands, while the interiors were to answer to the romantic character and the hospitality of the country life in Poland.
The projects having the character of mediaeval castles in the scalę similar to the Chludzihski's house were not quite uncom-
mon in the work of Scott. In the same year a project of a house, or rather a castle, was made for Dr.Crawford, so-called Hilltop
House in Cotswolds, later on overprojected on the order of the same customer for Bidford-on-Avon. Nevertheless, building of this
scalę were rare in the work of Baillie Scott.
Similarly to the previous project Baillie Scott applied also here a few solutions put into practice in some earlier projects. E.g.
the layout of the hall in the Chludzihski's house was based on the ideas used by Scott in the project of a musie room for the art lover
of a Darmstadt compétition project.
The House in Laskowicze undoubtedly entered upon the realization phase. The professional English press announced the
progress in the construction works. The critics were fascinated by the fact that the constrution itself was being realized in nearly
mediaeval conditions - it was supervised by the owner himself and realized by the local workers, bricks and tiles were produced on
the spot.
Application for an English architect with an order of a project of a résidence, although rather isolated in the practice of Polish
customers, does not seem an unexplicable event. At the beginning of the 20th century England and its culture were quite in the
vogue, and the popularity of English cultural patterns was not limited to the circles of the rich aristocracy only.
None of the Baillie Scott's project for Polish customers was published in Polish press, but their repeated appearance in the
English press available for Polish architects must have been noticed, so more, that a critic of a book by Baillie Scott „House and
Gardens" giving some attention to the first of the projects was published also in the German press, and in 1912 the whole book by
Scott was translated into German. The activity of Baillie Scott was also often dealt with in the Polish papers where also his Polish
orders were mentioned.
Among the architects connected with the «Arts and Crafts» movement Baillie Scott seems to be the most active outside the
British Isles. And although the scholars stress the primacy of Charles F.A. Voysey in the use of many planistic and formai solutions,
it seems that a intermediary link in the influence of thèse solutions on the projects of the architects of the Central Europe was Baillie
Scott. It was him that Dana Bofutova pointed at as one of the most important inspirers in the work of Duśan Jurkovic. Also the role
of his publications in the formation of the work of Thoroczkai Wigand after 1907 has been underlined.
In Poland in the first years of the 20th century there was no so true exploitation of English architectural patterns as it was the
case of Finland, a country with a much poorer architectural héritage than Poland. The fundamental role of the „Polish manor" as
a base for the research of an appropriate solution of a problem of housing for the middle class caused, that the architecture of the
«Arts and Crafts» movement has not given Polish architects examples suitable for a direct adaptation, so it is difficult to point
concrète buildings being „in the style" of Baillie Scott's projects, as it can be shown on the Czech, Hungarian or Finnish examples.
The projects of Baillie Scott, and especially the type of a disposition of interiors submitted to the primary role of the centrally
situated hall he proposed, together with a relative freedom in the attitude towards the exterior mass depending on the functional
disposition of the interior and conservation of the continuity of the local tradition have played an important role also in the Polish
architecture of the period between the two world wars, among others in the activity of Jan Koszczyc Witkiewicz.
Of course, one should not overestimate the influence the presented above two „Polish" projects of Baillie Scott could have
on the Polish architecture of the beginning of the 20th century. They are however the example of the scale of popularity of the
English patterns from the circle of the «Arts and Crafts» movement not only among the architects, but also among the customers.
At the same time thèse two projects are perhaps a secondary, but direct link between the Polish environment and the English patterns
the influence of that was not limited to the first years of our century only but continued till the second world war and has found its
expression even in the work of such conservative architects as Stefan Szyller.
MAŁGORZATA OMILANOWSKA
The second of the „Polish" projects of Baillie Scott is better perceptible. It was ordered by a Chludziński family for their
estate in Laskowicze (former province of Połock, now in Belarussia) on the Obol river. The first variant of the project was made
in 1912, the second one, designed for realization, a few months later.
Both variants of the Scott's project provided the construction of an identically planned building, the différence consisted in
the adoption of a completely changed architectonic costume. A location plan of a two-storey house was square, with four wings
united around an inner court, and with quadrilatéral towers nearly totally sinked into the corners. The interior disposition was nearly
identical in both projects. In the first one the élévations obtained forms in a style of the Wiener Sécession. The second variant of
the project provided giving to the whole building the view of a mediaeval fortified castle.
The interiors have been planned in a half-row disposition with a séquence of rooms in the outer row and with a narrow half-
row of a corridor-gallery from the side of the inner court. The main room of the résidence was to be the hall, covering the whole
of the eastern wing - its whole width and height.
The character of a mediaeval castle given to this building by Baillie Scott was motivated by the architect with its situation.
The choice of the place and the generał disposition of the building were to protect it against the severe climate and attacks of
brigands, while the interiors were to answer to the romantic character and the hospitality of the country life in Poland.
The projects having the character of mediaeval castles in the scalę similar to the Chludzihski's house were not quite uncom-
mon in the work of Scott. In the same year a project of a house, or rather a castle, was made for Dr.Crawford, so-called Hilltop
House in Cotswolds, later on overprojected on the order of the same customer for Bidford-on-Avon. Nevertheless, building of this
scalę were rare in the work of Baillie Scott.
Similarly to the previous project Baillie Scott applied also here a few solutions put into practice in some earlier projects. E.g.
the layout of the hall in the Chludzihski's house was based on the ideas used by Scott in the project of a musie room for the art lover
of a Darmstadt compétition project.
The House in Laskowicze undoubtedly entered upon the realization phase. The professional English press announced the
progress in the construction works. The critics were fascinated by the fact that the constrution itself was being realized in nearly
mediaeval conditions - it was supervised by the owner himself and realized by the local workers, bricks and tiles were produced on
the spot.
Application for an English architect with an order of a project of a résidence, although rather isolated in the practice of Polish
customers, does not seem an unexplicable event. At the beginning of the 20th century England and its culture were quite in the
vogue, and the popularity of English cultural patterns was not limited to the circles of the rich aristocracy only.
None of the Baillie Scott's project for Polish customers was published in Polish press, but their repeated appearance in the
English press available for Polish architects must have been noticed, so more, that a critic of a book by Baillie Scott „House and
Gardens" giving some attention to the first of the projects was published also in the German press, and in 1912 the whole book by
Scott was translated into German. The activity of Baillie Scott was also often dealt with in the Polish papers where also his Polish
orders were mentioned.
Among the architects connected with the «Arts and Crafts» movement Baillie Scott seems to be the most active outside the
British Isles. And although the scholars stress the primacy of Charles F.A. Voysey in the use of many planistic and formai solutions,
it seems that a intermediary link in the influence of thèse solutions on the projects of the architects of the Central Europe was Baillie
Scott. It was him that Dana Bofutova pointed at as one of the most important inspirers in the work of Duśan Jurkovic. Also the role
of his publications in the formation of the work of Thoroczkai Wigand after 1907 has been underlined.
In Poland in the first years of the 20th century there was no so true exploitation of English architectural patterns as it was the
case of Finland, a country with a much poorer architectural héritage than Poland. The fundamental role of the „Polish manor" as
a base for the research of an appropriate solution of a problem of housing for the middle class caused, that the architecture of the
«Arts and Crafts» movement has not given Polish architects examples suitable for a direct adaptation, so it is difficult to point
concrète buildings being „in the style" of Baillie Scott's projects, as it can be shown on the Czech, Hungarian or Finnish examples.
The projects of Baillie Scott, and especially the type of a disposition of interiors submitted to the primary role of the centrally
situated hall he proposed, together with a relative freedom in the attitude towards the exterior mass depending on the functional
disposition of the interior and conservation of the continuity of the local tradition have played an important role also in the Polish
architecture of the period between the two world wars, among others in the activity of Jan Koszczyc Witkiewicz.
Of course, one should not overestimate the influence the presented above two „Polish" projects of Baillie Scott could have
on the Polish architecture of the beginning of the 20th century. They are however the example of the scale of popularity of the
English patterns from the circle of the «Arts and Crafts» movement not only among the architects, but also among the customers.
At the same time thèse two projects are perhaps a secondary, but direct link between the Polish environment and the English patterns
the influence of that was not limited to the first years of our century only but continued till the second world war and has found its
expression even in the work of such conservative architects as Stefan Szyller.