Architecture as an Art of Understanding

The article offers a reflection on architecture, noting its combination of aspects of pure art with those of craft and technology. This relationship and tension between beauty and aesthetics, on the one hand, and utilitarian requirements and hazards of wear and tear, on the other, are explored, primarily with reference to Polish examples. The author concludes that architecture is the “art of understanding” of the title because the architect is required to “translate” and reconcile the various factors of place, culture, aesthetics, technique, and material.