Atlas Altan: Naïve Architecture of Polish Allotment Sheds

Abstract

This photographic essay aims to recognize the naïve architecture of allotment sheds as an object worth documenting, both because of its scale—a phenomenon present in most Polish cities—as well and its impromptu process. Typologically, the sheds are quite similar, and their floor plan is mostly a product of a utilitarian approach. However, where they differ is in their details and materials. This series of photographs, with an allotment always located in the middle of the frame, tries to represent the mundane and ordinary. It captures the simple surroundings of those who inhabit Polish cities but are often overlooked, focusing on the allotment as unapologetic forms of freedom and expression enclosed in community gardens.