Modernism instead of highlander pastel. Bernatowicz Architektura's design philosophy towards the heritage of Podhale
Podhale is one of the most difficult design contexts in Poland. On one hand — a powerful heritage: Stanisław Witkiewicz's Zakopane Style, wooden villas, carved details. On the other — the pressure of mass tourism, which over the decades has spread cheap 'highlander-style' pastiche across the region, confusing folklore with quality. It is within this tension that the Kraków-and-Podhale studio Bernatowicz Architektura builds its position, led by Aleksander Bernatowicz — a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at Politechnika Krakowska, holder of the Prof. Bohdan Lisowski scholarship (SARP) and, as the studio states, an expert in designing hotel spaces.
Respect without repeating clichés
The starting point of this philosophy is counter-intuitive: respect for a region need not mean repeating its formal clichés. In the adaptation of the historic 'Arizona' villa from 1936, the studio deliberately moved away from the Zakopane Style, because the building — classicising — had never belonged to it. The result is, as the studio describes it, 'the character of a mountain villa in the interiors, but not a highlander one'. This distinction sums up the whole method: the architect first reads the genealogy of a specific place, and only then chooses the language, rather than imposing a regional template from the outset. In practice this means risk — going against the grain of a market that treats the 'highlander' aesthetic as a ready-made recipe for sales.
History as an asset, not a burden
The second pillar is working with history as a value, not a burden. This is evident, for one, in the studio's writing — an extensive piece devoted to the 'Dyrektorówka' villa in Kościelisko, a work by Witkiewicz linked to Sanatorium Dłuskich and the history of Maria Skłodowska-Curie's family. In it, the studio takes a critical look at the condition of Podhale's historic buildings, noting that 'the architectural heritage of this area seems to be disappearing irretrievably, and the number of successful interventions to remedy the situation appears insufficient'. This positions the architect not as a decorator, but as a conscious participant in the debate on protecting Podhale's heritage — a voice that carries real weight in a region dominated by commercial development.
Material language: restraint instead of excess
The third element is the material language. The studio declares that it seeks inspiration in nature and reaches for human-friendly raw materials from local sources — stone, wood, moss, natural wool. The design team is dominated by attitudes centred on minimalism, japandi, warm minimalism and modernism, as well as the 'less is more' principle. This is an aesthetic poles apart from the pastel, overloaded version of the 'highlander' look — it favours restraint, consistency and high-class craftsmanship, including collaboration with local stonemasons. You can see it both in the stone fireplace of Villa 33 and in the moss and oak of NABE Spa: the same principles, two different programmes.
Process: a project consulted with the market
Finally — the process-driven approach. Bernatowicz Architektura declares holistic work: it consults its projects with people from hospitality and gastronomy, with trendsetters and branding specialists, in order to create 'unforgettable places, not just interiors'. For a premium investor — a developer of apartment properties, a hotel operator or the owner of a heritage building — this is an offer of concrete value: space designed for the user experience and brand positioning, not for a passing fashion.
Why this matters in this market
This stance has a business dimension. Zakopane and Podhale are today one of the most expensive real estate markets in Poland — prices in the premium segment reach 30–40 thousand PLN/m² amid limited land supply and growing competition from condo developments. In such an environment, a replicated 'highlander' aesthetic becomes a mass-market commodity, while the real advantage lies in authenticity, a consistent language and detail that cannot be copied. The 'modernism instead of pastel' philosophy is therefore not only an aesthetic choice but a differentiation strategy: for the owner of a premium property, restraint and attentive reading of a place translate into distinctiveness, higher perceived value and resilience to a fashion that quickly wears out.
Overall, a coherent thesis emerges. In Podhale, where kitsch dressed up as tradition comes easily, Bernatowicz Architektura proposes a harder path: modernist restraint, attentive reading of a place's history and regional materials in a premium execution. It is a stance that turns the 'highlander' idiom into a starting point for conversation, rather than a ready-made answer.
# LOCAL INVESTMENTS
Editorial material by Method Press based on studio materials (bernatowicz.archi) and public industry sources. Visualisations and photographs: materials from Bernatowicz Architektura / the properties' operators.