With great sorrow, we announce that prof. dr hab. inż. Arch. Andrzej Białkiewicz, Rector of Cracow University of Technology has passed away. He was associated with our university for nearly 50 years, starting with the day when he entered its walls as a student of architecture. He was serving as Rector of the University from September 2020 until the present day. Prior to that, he was the University’s Vice-Rector for two terms and, for many years, head of the Drawing, Painting and Sculpture Lab (later transformed into a Chair) at the CUT Faculty of Architecture. He combined his academic and teaching work with prolific architectural practice. He passed away in Kraków in the late evening hours of Wednesday, the 22nd of March.
Our Rector’s death is an unimaginably painful blow for the whole academic community of Cracow University of Technology. We have lost an exceptional member of our community, a person dedicated entirely to the University for nearly half a century, co-creator of many of our successes and co-author of the new strategy for the University’s further growth - says prof. Dariusz Bogdał, the Vice-Rector for Research, speaking on behalf of the Rector Board and the CUT employees and students. - We have to bid farewell to His Magnificence the Rector in the middle of his term of service, at the moment when the University’s scientific activities and investments, to which he contributed so greatly, are at their peak. It is difficult to accept that. We are losing not only our Rector, but also an inquisitive scientist of enormous knowledge, a highly valued teacher and a talented artist. First of all, however, we are losing a companion in the academic life, who was so close to our hearts, a person of extraordinary work ethics, modest and kind, always placing great trust with people. For colleagues, subordinates and students, endlessly understanding and treating everybody with respect. His passing away is a great loss not only for our University, but also for the academic circles of Kraków and Małopolska, as well as for the Polish science and architecture.
Prof. Andrzej Białkiewicz was born in Czeladź on the 13th June 1954. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of Cracow University of Technology in 1978 and started work at the Drawing, Painting and Sculpture Lab (later transformed into a Chair) at the Faculty of Architecture of Cracow University of Technology. He was its Head from 2011 to 2020. In 1987, he was awarded the degree of doctor in technical sciences on the grounds of a thesis on architecture of the inter-war period and problems of historic architecture conservation. The dissertation was a starting point for his further research and establishing international academic contacts. In 2005, he was awarded the degree of doctus habilitatus in technical sciences based on the work entitled „Rola rysunku w warsztacie architekta. Szkoła krakowska w kontekście dokonań wybranych uczelni europejskich i polskich” /The Role of Drawing in the Architect’s Repertoire of Tools. The Kraków School in the Context of Achievements of Selected European and Polish Universities/. He was awarded the title of professor of technical sciences in 2018. His professorial book dealt with the changes in the use of religious buildings (“Adaptive Reuse of Sacred Buildings”). Prof. Andrzej Białkiewicz was elected Rector of Cracow University of Technology on the 8th July 2020. He started his term of office on the 1st September 2020. Prior to that – in years 2012 – 2020 – he was the University’s Vice-Rector for General Affairs, responsible, among others, for investments, development of the research and teaching infrastructure and cooperation with the local authorities and business environment.
Prof. Białkiewicz’ main areas of research interests were related to the theory of contemporary architecture, in particular – modernist architecture, the role of drawing in architects’ activities, preservation of architectural heritage and the processes of bestowing new functions on monuments of architecture, including the phenomenon of removing the religious function from historic buildings. He was the author or co-author of approx. 140 academic publications in national and international journals and of three monographs. He was awarded numerous annual CUT Rector’s Awards for research, teaching and organizational achievements and decorated with the CUT Honorary Badge. He actively participated in national and international cooperation in research and teaching and presented papers at numerous academic conferences, among others in New York, Cottbus, Budapest, Barcelona, Florence, Moscow, Mexico City, Istanbul, Cologne, Quebec, Singapore, Xian, Bangkok and Athens. He collaborated with various foreign universities, among others from Italy, Germany and Austria.
He combined research and teaching work in the area of architecture and architectural monuments conservation with a prolific architectural practice. He was the author or co-author of over 180 completed architectural and architectural conservation designs (among others in Kraków, Warsaw, Rzeszów, Łódź, Częstochowa, Inowrocław, Włodawa, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Dębica, Sosnowiec, Wolbrom, Zakopane and Lublin), including over 50 completed churches and religious complexes in Poland (with the largest of them being the church and the Paulines’ monastery complex in Toruń), but also in Ukraine, Latvia, Cameroon, Hungary, Croatia, South Africa and Slovakia. A prominent part of his architectural activities were conservation projects, among others in Jasna Góra, Częstochowa, and Skałka in Kraków.
An important area of prof. Andrzej Białkiewicz’ academic activity was teaching visualisation of architecture and creation of its representation, design, architectural monuments conservation and history of art. He was a highly valued lecturer, universally liked by students of Cracow University of Technology, a supervisor of numerous outdoor painting and drawing workshops. He supervised several doctoral theses and numerous master’s diploma works, participated as a reviewer in proceedings for the award of the degree of doctor, doctus habilitatus and the title of professor. As a lecturer, he also cooperated with University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (1997-2012) and the University College of Enterprise and Administration in Lublin (2010 – 2012).
Professor Andrzej Białkiewicz was a member of international associations active in the area of cultural heritage protection, such as: ICOMOS, DOCOMOMO and ReUSO. He was also a member of professional organizations of architects and constructors: SARP, MOIA, the Scientific Council of the Galicja Chamber of Construction, as well as a member of the World Institute for Engineering and Technology Education WIETE in Melbourne. He sat on the Board for the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources affiliated to the President of PR and on the Civic Committee for Renovation of Historical Monuments of Cracow. He was an expert of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in the field of historic monuments protection, as well as a member of the expert team of the National Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning.
He had numerous passions – avidly interested in the history of motor vehicles, he participated in historic vehicles rallies, he was a connoisseur of classical music, his drawings were displayed in individual and group exhibitions.
With great sorrow and deeply pained, the community of Cracow University of Technology bids farewell to its Rector.
We wish to express our sincerest condolences to Professor Andrzej Białkiewicz’ Wife, Family and Friends.