Spór Hilarego Szpilowskiego ze Stanisławem Zawadzkim przy budowie koszar w Kamieńcu Podolskim – uwagi inżyniera budownictwa

Abstract

Kamieniec Podolski was the most important fortress of the Polish Republic, defending its southeastern border. Unfortunately, there were no barracks for soldiers in the fortress. Therefore, in the 1780s, their construction began. The project of Jan de Witte, an experienced and distinguished fortifier of the Kamieniec fortress, was rejected, and a new project was commissioned to a young but talented designer, Stanisław Zawadzki (1743–1806). He designed a five-wing building on a square plan, with a central wing that divided the interior into two courtyards. The building was first approved by the Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski, and only then they began to look for a site where it could be built. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find a suitable site, which was the reason for changing the location of the barracks several times. The construction of the barracks was entrusted to Hilary Szpilowski (1753–1827), who found many errors in the project. Zawadzki’s rare visits made necessary consultations impossible and forced Szpilowski to take independent decisions regarding changes in the building design. The Committee of the Military Department of the Perpetual Council rejected all of Szpilowski’s allegations. In this article, a detailed analysis of the solutions introduced at that time was carried out based on the preserved site maps and design drawings. It was shown that the project contained serious errors, especially the mismatch with the existing terrain, which generated a gigantic scope of earthworks, a lack of water supply and sewage disposal, and the lack of a tie beam reinforcing the building. Therefore, contrary to the opinion of the Committee of the Military Department of the Perpetual Council, the entire blame for the poorly designed barracks building and the resulting problems during construction should be placed on Stanisław Zawadzki, not Hilary Szpilowski.