THEORY Competition

The THEORY Competition was a competition for the best essay on the relationship between architecture and the culture of a chosen city. It was held every two years and was aimed at young architects and architecture theorists.

Participants took part in the “Writing about architecture” workshops held at the Foundation’s headquarters, and then developed their texts under the guidance of mentors. The winning essays were published in the Foundation’s book series “The Architecture of Culture – The Culture of Architecture”.

The laureates of all editions and the published books are presented below.

The Stefan Kuryłowicz Foundation is pleased to announce that, in accordance with the Jury’s verdict, the Grand Prize of the TEORIA 2026 Competition is awarded to Jakub Krzysztofik for his short story “The Invisible City”. The First-Degree Distinction goes to Joanna Majczyk for her study “Free as the Birds of the Sky” on pre-war couriers, and the Second-Degree Distinction was won by Julia Roch for her reportage “City of Sensations” on the sensory perception of the city.

Grand Prize — “The Invisible City”, Jakub Krzysztofik

For the first time in the history of the TEORIA competition, the Jury awards the Grand Prize to a literary text – a short story that boldly conjures a dystopian future. Yet it is not a fantasy detached from the present, but a sharpened image of the consequences of decisions being made today. The story reminds us that the quality of architecture reveals itself not in what is spectacular, but in the way it respects people, their surroundings and the landscape. From this warning flows an appeal for architecture sensitive to the needs of all users – including those who perform invisible, everyday, prestige-less work, for it is on them that the smooth functioning of the city and the comfort of its residents depend.

First-Degree Distinction — “Free as the Birds of the Sky. The Bicycle Couriers of Warsaw”, Joanna Majczyk

“Will buy a ticket, deliver a parcel, run an errand – the Jaskółka Bicycle Messenger”… such charming classifieds – indeed an entire lost world of pre-war bicycle couriers – come back to life in Ms Majczyk’s essay. The work is superbly documented, engagingly told and beautifully illustrated. Its great strength is the genuine perspective in which – unexpectedly – today’s Warsaw couriers appear. It gives one much to think about!

Second-Degree Distinction — “City of Sensations”, Julia Roch

The city reveals itself most fully not only to the observer’s eye, but to the whole body with its own sensory perception. In dialogue with neuroscience, the author shows that the rhythm of the street, the texture of the cobblestones, light and temperature co-create the way we read space. This is a superbly illustrated work of rare interpretive maturity. It restores to reflection on architecture its somatic dimension and opens a new field of interpretation.