History

The school was built in the years 1946-1949; the design was non-standard, modelled on the modern Swiss designs of the time. It was a pavilion-type of building, well set against the landscape, with spatial classrooms and large windows taking up the entire side of the room. The design was drawn up by Halina Skibniewska, an assistant to Prof. Romuald Gutt (who signed under the design as the dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology) and later a leading Polish architect. The design was approved in 1946 as experimental by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Construction. The design solutions assumed and permitted the implementation of the idea of ​​community school. The teaching section was clearly separated from the area for community activities (the school was to serve as the local culture centre). The ground-breaking ceremony was held in May 1946. The school was one of the first such establishments after WW2 largely erected in a social action: the labour and construction materials contributed by the local community accounted for 1/3 of the value of the investment. The construction was also integrating the local people; peasants and university graduates were working hand-in-hand. Besides the intelligentsia (Prof. R. Gutt and H. Skibniewska) and nobility, including those associated with the Home Army (W. Pomianowska and her father G. Pomianowski - pre-war inspector of agricultural schools and a local landowner), the initiative was supported by the representatives of the communist authorities (e.g. Governor E. Wiślicz-Iwańczyk or Starost T. Homan). The idea of the construction helped transcend the wartime and post-war divisions. In the 1970s, the building was extended by a new wing (four new classrooms, also designed by H. Skibniewska); the architecture reflected the original building and harmoniously fit into the existing complex. In 2006 the school was named after Wanda Pomianowska, the initiator of the project and a well-known linguist. It continues to function in well-maintained surroundings. Attempts to “upgrade" the building have failed so far, and the school has remained substantially unchanged compared to the original condition.

Description

The school building is a one-storey structure with partial basement; it is made of silica brick, with a gable roof (catslide type) rested on a wooden truss covered with corrugated asbestine tile. The original window and (partly) door joinery have been partially preserved, together with the planked ceilings in the classrooms. The plan of the building is simple and clear: it is made up of two school pavilions and the entrance is connected to a porch, between the school part and the gym extension. The building looks modest but tasteful; it blends very well into the rural landscape dominated by a nearby church. Grayish, unplastered ground floor goes together with simple gables with weatherboarding and prominent eaves. The area is separated by a low fence; paved yards and pitches are located in front of (street) and on the sides of the facility; wide lawn surrounds the building from behind.

The building is clearly visible from outside; the school yard can be accessed by a gate; the building is open during the teaching hours.

Compiled by Włodzimierz Pedrycz, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Kielce, 05.12.2014.

Bibliography

• Historia szkoły, [www.gmina-pawlow/spradkowice].
• Skibniewska H., Problemy z Witruwiusza (wywiad - 1977, prowadzony przez Cz. Bieleckiego), [teoriaarchitektury.blogspot.com].