Architect Stefan Kuryłowicz talks with Elżbieta Wrzecionkowska.

■ Until recently the office concept seemed fairly rigid.
In the first half of the 20th century most offices employed the organization and work methods used in industry. As a result, the office was a “paper factory” with rows of desks and the managers controlled employee efficiency from behind the glass walls of their boxes. Typical examples of such offices include the Seagrams Building in New York and UNESCO headquarters in Paris. When the routine of organization structure encountered dynamic changes brought about by the development of computer systems and structures, new concepts and solutions for work environments had to be sought.

■ What are the characteristic features of the contemporary office?
Modern workplaces are in most cases distinguished by an individual approach, informal relations between staff and the principle of trust, as a result of which centralism and strict control are no longer needed. There is no single office form, understood as both space arrangement and work organization. Work conditions increasingly depend on what a person or company considers most appropriate for fulfilling their tasks. That, of course, does not change the fact that an office building is still necessary. People still want to work together, to be able to exchange ideas, stimulate one another or jointly overcome stress related to performing their tasks. Also significant is identification with the organization and attachment to a community that provides a sense of security.

The basic feature of an office building or an office is flexibility—a high degree of tolerance for change. This should be understood first and foremost as the possibility to react to new trends, change old habits or to form teams easily. A flexible work environment involves changing elements of furniture and adapting to changes today and tomorrow.

Many people work in the car, on an airplane or in a train station, from wherever they are at a given time.

As a result of global, unlimited communications, we have a different sense of time. The way we use it, what we call “work on the run,” is changing. Work organization is changing, with data communication infrastructure, often portable and mobile, playing an increasing role. However, a permanent workstation still involves a comfortable chair and a horizontal desk. Electronic data storage systems have not eliminated office files and kilos of paper that need proper storage space. Also, room is needed for personal items, both iconographic and decorative, such as photographs, gifts, diplomas and gadgets. Permanent equipment includes a computer, a telephone, a printer, a lamp and a wastebasket. In a well-designed workplace, each of these has to be included. It is difficult to talk about removing walls, although more and more people work in open spaces nowadays. Different sections of an open-space office may need different furniture, lighting and acoustics. In this scheme, it is necessary to ensure nearly identical conditions in the whole office area.

■ What is a modern office like?
A modern office includes dozens of rooms with specific functions. Apart from the staff work area, rooms are needed for presentations, reception desks, auditoriums, archives and relaxation. Their arrangement and furnishings determine the conditions in which we will work and have to be adjusted to our tasks and responsibilities. Regardless of the conditions offered or proper work organization, the people who perform the job are still most important.