Jacek Markusiewicz

Jacek Markusiewicz is an architect and creative coder who divides his time between Donostia San Sebastián and Warsaw. His practice is grounded in his formal architectural training. He holds a doctorate in architecture and urban planning from the Warsaw University of Technology and a Master in Advanced Architecture from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona. Markusiewicz has contributed to international architecture projects and holds lecturing positions connected to both institutions. This extensive background, particularly in parametric design, provides the foundation for his work with generative systems.

Markusiewicz employs code to build algorithmic systems that generate intricate visual forms. His methods draw upon his expertise in parametric design, generative modelling, and programming. Each series is governed by a distinct set of rules and variables, resulting in a collection of related yet unique outputs. His 2021 series `unbuilt`, for example, consists of an algorithm that produces 256 different city plans. The code determines variables such as the city's size, its street grid, and the surrounding landscape, ensuring each iteration is a singular composition within the series's established logic.

The work consistently engages with the history and theory of architecture. Markusiewicz explicitly connects his `unbuilt` series to the drawings of Italian Renaissance theorists like Vincenzo Scamozzi and Filarete, who designed ideal cities. These generative plans are presented as architectural documents for utopian settlements, constructions too perfect to exist in the material world. His work explores the persistent tension between abstract ideals and physical reality, referencing historical examples such as Palmanova and Zamość. The resulting images are not merely technical demonstrations, they are meditations on harmony, order, and the beautiful impossibility of flawless plans.