Architekci brukselscy Stanislas Jasinski i Jacques Obozinski

Abstrakt

Stanislas Jasinski (1901-1978) and Jacques Obozinski (1890-1981) were ancestors of Polish emigrants of the nineteenth century. They both played a role in architecture, especially that of Brussels, which found an expression in numerous mentions in the studies and guidebooks devoted to the Belgian architecture of the twentieth century.

In the beginning of the 1920s Jasinski contacted with Dutch neoplasticism and, during his stay in Paris, with le Corbusier, becoming an advocate of the latter. As an architect and painter, he belonged to the group of artists grouping the avant garde of the paper “7 Arts”, propagating on its pages the ideas of avant garde architecture.

In the years of 1929-1930 he completed the Airport in Antverpe-Deurne of simple forms in the spirit of the “international style”. At that time, being under the influence of Le Corbusier, he proposed a revolutionary conception of the Administrative Centre in the old part of Brussels, in the form of skyscrapers in the shape of crosses. In the years 1934-1939, together with Gaston Brunfaut, he realized the oncological department of the Institute Jules Bordet et Paul Heger, introducing among other things a platform instead of stairs in the place where two wings of the building join.

Most of Jasinski's conceptions is flat architecture. Starting from the 1935s onwards he realized in the representatives districts of Brussels several elegant houses such as Belle Vue at Avenue de Gaulle no 50, at 127 Montjoie Street, 4 Avenue des Scarabées, 23 Avenue l'Orée. Their simple forms, a result of the avant garde form, are characterized by an interesting plastic of details. The residences of Belvedere at 453 Avenue Louise (1939) and Chambord at 341 Avenue Louise (1947) were abold and conscious introduction of the skyscraper into a street with lower buildings. His further houses were built in the 1950s and 60s: Green Dale at 499 Avenue Brugmann, Grande Large and Grande Clarte at 48-60 Avenue Churchill, and agroup of blocks Chenee, Hetraie, Chataignerie, Eden Green at Avenue Ptolomee. Within the confines of the structure of ablock of flats Jasinski arrived at individual plastic solutions through the system of balconies, Corbusier-like placing on poles, introduction of sculptor decorations. As regards the architecture of public utility, we have the Office Building of the Society Commerce et Industrie at 30 Boulevard du Regent, with the elevation covered with aglass shelter. He designed also small houses outside Brussels. Among Jasinski's project which did not see the light of day, let us name the architectonic and town planning complex Cité du Mundaneum in Antverpe (1941) in which he participated.

Jacques Obozinski designed on the forms closer to avant garde architecture and more traditional or compromising. His Own House at 366 Avenue Brugmann of 1921 is closer to the tradition of the English house. The Houses at 56 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt (1928), 92and 72 Avenue Plissart (1933). The latter project was designed together with J.de Ligne. 84 Avenue Deschanel (1935) and, finally, Maison minimum at 124 Basse belong rather to the avant garde trend. Their form stressed by the system of the perpendiculars and the levels is aresult of the quest after the most satisfactory solutions of the function. The monaster at 25 Saint Bernard (1937) remade into aHouse is characterized by an accurate historicizing detail.

Obozinski designed also architecture for exhibitions. Together with F.Petit he designed the Pavillon Manufacture Royale de Copenhagen in Paris in 1925, and at the Common Exhibition in Brussels in 1935 the Pavillon de Cuir. And, eventually, at the Brussels EXPO in 1958 the Pavillon de la Police and Pavillon du Marbre. He designed several projects together with his brother Yvan, and author of ship interior designs. After 1945 they completed the Office National de Securité Sociale (O.N.S.S.) at 102 Prince Royal, Office de Securité d'OUtre Mer at 194 Avenue Louise, Office National du Ducroire at 40 Square de Meeus. Obozinski was also adesigner of other buildings in and outside Brussels.