How was the Throne created?
The Rector’s Throne is a large-scale sculptural form. It was made by students of the Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok University of Technology during the nationwide “Concrete Architecture” workshops, held on 15–19 September 2025 in Kraków.
– We worked in a group. Ours – apart from Amelia Bakun and myself – included colleagues from Lodz University of Technology and two female students from Kraków – says Marta Plichta, a student of the Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok University of Technology and workshop participant. – After heated discussions, we managed to develop a conceptual design of the throne, which we then had to model by hand using the materials provided. Later, a 3D model was created, which ultimately served as the basis for casting the final piece.
Under the supervision of masters of concrete technology and architecture, the workshop participants went through the entire creative process: from concept, through the construction of complex formwork, to pouring the concrete and creating the final form.
– Cooperation with professionals, who showed us all the nuances of project execution, proved extremely valuable – continues Plichta. – They taught us methods of reinforcing the material, preparing the form, and pouring the concrete. I believe it is very important for young designers to have the opportunity to carry out a project from start to finish. Only in this way can we find out which elements of an idea can actually be implemented.
The workshop participants – students from eight Polish technical universities – faced an unusual challenge: to design and build by hand a sculpture symbolising academic authority. And they rose to the challenge.
– It was a wonderful adventure and an opportunity to gain valuable experience – says Amelia Bakun, a student of the Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok University of Technology and workshop participant. – I met specialists from all over Poland, listened to interesting lectures and, above all, learned how to work with architectural concrete.
Symbolism and a charitable gesture
During the student workshops, a total of six concrete thrones were created. All of them were presented at a special exhibition during the prestigious “Concrete Days” conference, held on 13–15 October 2025 in Wisła. The student works were auctioned to raise funds for the Foundation “Na Ratunek Dzieciom z Chorobą Nowotworową”. The Rector’s Throne, weighing hundreds of kilograms, was purchased at auction by Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology.
– At the exhibition of works created during the student workshops, I noticed an object co-authored by female students of the Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok University of Technology. I decided to donate it to our academic community so that it could serve as an example of creativity for future generations – says Assoc. Prof. Marta Kosior-Kazberuk, DSc, PhD, Eng., Rector of Bialystok University of Technology. – I invite everyone to sit on it, relax and take a selfie. The Throne brings together several important elements: the creativity of our students, hope for children fighting illness, as well as academic tradition.
During the “Concrete Days” conference, the Rector of Bialystok University of Technology was honoured with the so-called “Concrete Oscar” – an award granted to individuals and institutions with significant achievements in concrete technology, both in the field of research and in the implementation of construction projects. It is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the industry.
A place with history in the background
The location of the Throne is not accidental. You can find it at the beginning (or at the end – depending on the walker’s perspective) of the mezzanine that runs along the university buildings on the main campus of Bialystok University of Technology at Wiejska Street.
Near the rector’s office, the mezzanine comes to an abrupt end. According to Maciej Kłopotowski, PhD, Eng., Arch., Director of the University Archives and the BUT History Centre, this is a place that connects the history of campus design with the contemporary vision of the University’s development.
– We are standing in a place which, according to the original plans from the 1970s, was to be a link over Wiejska Street. The mezzanine was to continue seamlessly into a footbridge leading to the second, almost symmetrical part of the University campus – explains Kłopotowski. – At the time when the plans for the Bialystok University of Technology campus were being developed, we had been promised land on the opposite side of Wiejska Street. Today, the Kawaleryjskie housing estate stands there. Additionally, a huge fountain was to be built here as an element enhancing the prestige of this place. Although history took a different course, this space has now gained a new architectural focal point. The concrete Throne, with its geometrised form, visually completes the main compositional axis of the University and enriches this corner of the campus.
Sit down and take a rest…
The Rector’s Throne, located at the entrance to the Bialystok University of Technology campus, is more than just a new element of small-scale architecture. It is an invitation to a university where engineering meets creativity.
The choice of material was not accidental. Architectural concrete is the common denominator of our leading study programmes: civil engineering, architecture, environmental engineering, as well as landscape architecture.
Despite its monumental weight, the Throne may appear visually light. Why is it worth visiting?
- For reflection: experience the strength of the material that shapes our built environment.
- For history: discover the visionary plans of the founders of the Bialystok University of Technology campus and find out why the mezzanine ends at this particular point.
- For an original selfie: the Throne is another “photogenic” object on our University campus, as well as in the city.
The “Concrete Architecture 2025” workshops were attended by a group of 34 students from eight universities across the country: Tadeusz Kościuszko Krakow University of Technology, Gdańsk University of Technology, Bialystok University of Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Warsaw University of Technology, Lodz University of Technology and Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The Faculty of Architecture of Bialystok University of Technology was represented by: Amelia Bakun, Marta Plichta, Kornelia Angielczyk, Olaf Bargielski, Hanna Jóźwiak, Konrad Kazberuk.
The workshops were organised by the Polish Cement Association, the Department of Architectural Design at the Faculty of Architecture of the Krakow University of Technology and the Department of Building Materials Technology at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. The workshop partners were PERI Polska and Dyckerhoff Polska.
Author: Monika Rokicka
See the photo gallery featuring the Rector’s Throne on the campus of Bialystok University of Technology:
