The jug house in Makowiska is located in a quiet, quite secluded area. There are tall trees, fields, meadows and even a stream all around. When a right-handed person looks at it from the road, it’s easy to get the impression that he’s about to grab a teapot by his ear. People sometimes ask if the idea for a teapot house came from Juliusz Machulski’s film “Kingsajz”. Meanwhile, the shape of the teapot reminds Maciej Chęsiak of warmth and family.
Where did the idea for the teapot house come from?
The originator of the project is professionally involved in running a tattoo studio, he also designs and makes commissioned graffiti. He lived and worked in Ireland for a long time – at one point he had as many as three tattoo parlors there. However, he missed the country, so he decided to build a house in his homeland. Now you can make an appointment with him for a tattoo both in Bydgoszcz and occasionally in Dublin. Why a teapot and why near Bydgoszcz? In an interview with “T”, Chęsiak said in 2022:
A jug is associated with a vessel full of well-brewed tea. Around which people sit. It is a symbol of a safe haven, a warm home (…) Why in Poland? Because it is much cheaper to build a house here. And I missed Solec, old friends, bonfires by the Vistula River.
In addition, he also modeled the roof of the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres – giant eggs were placed there. It’s pure symbolism here. Everyone has to answer the question of what they associate with a tea pot. One associates it with an aluminum kettle standing on a cast-iron coal-fired stove in grandma’s kitchen. The second person associates the round form of a jug, i.e. a teapot, with porcelain. A teapot reminds me of home, warmth and family. It is about the spherical form and material associated with clay, brick, burning. This is where the idea for the house came from – he told Maciej Kulesza from Bydgoszcz. A trip to Thailand, during which he bought a small teapot for one euro, was also inspiring: – He traveled with me a lot. Its shape was the closest to the one I saw with the eyes of my imagination, as the shape of a house, warmth – he explained. An important inspiration was also the shell-shaped house designed by Javier Senosiaine.
How was the teapot house built near Bydgoszcz?
The design of the house in the shape of a jug was helped by Maciej Chęsiak, an architect from Łódź, Sebastian Sergiel (he runs the Sergiel architectural studio), who managed to specialize in the creation of domes. He estimates that there are about 100 single-family dome houses in Poland, but most are usually located in discreet places among trees. She admits that the house in Makowiska is the only residential jug that exists in our country.
The teapot house was originally intended to be 100 square metres, but in the course of the work, the area was reduced by 20 square meters to accommodate an additional skylight in the lid, which is now a translucent element of the roof. It can be seen well from the ground floor room, as well as in aerial shots. Finally, the teapot house has five roof windows, four vertical and one terrace. The dome is 10.5 meters high.
The skeleton of the house was built of wood, and the walls were finished with clay – in this way the building is more in harmony with nature. According to Chęsiak, clay allows the walls to breathe. Inside, there is a wood wool filling with an appropriate air circulation system. From the outside, the teapot was also covered with a suitable waterproof waterproofing layer. This one has been painted in a brick color, thanks to which the building blends in even more with the surroundings.
Construction started in October 2019, when the foundations were poured. From March, the construction team worked on the spherical walls – appropriate holes were cut in them so that the top handle, the chimney and, of course, the ear could be attached. Work on the chimney lasted the longest, almost 18 months. Because the design is non-standard, this one was not routed through the center of the dome, but through the “spout” of the teapot. Thanks to this, in winter, smoke rises from it, which looks like steam coming out of a real jug. Work on the building was completed in 2021.
A house of teapots? The architect enumerates the advantages
Architect Sebastian Sergiel assures that domed houses have many advantages: they are very resistant to gusty winds, the external part of the wooden structure is built quickly. The dome is self-supporting and can be erected on the foundation in one day – there is no need to erect internal walls at the same time. When the structure is covered with the outer layer, you can calmly finish the interior. Contrary to what it may seem, such houses are also well lit, although they theoretically have few windows. The architect also points out that round houses can also be designed so that no space is wasted there – there are no cluttered storage spaces with which it is difficult to do anything meaningful. In his opinion, their original appearance is also a great advantage.
The biggest challenge when building a round house, according to the author of the project, is firstly finding the right place for development. The Polish law strictly defines the rules of development conditions in various areas and rarely provides for the possibility of erecting half-shell structures, because, for example, only gable or multi-slope roofs are allowed. The next issue is to find contractors who will be able to erect the dome. It is supposedly not difficult, but it does require proper knowledge. Builders also often inflate prices because it’s a non-standard project. Thus, during the construction of the house, the teapots increased by 200 percent, so the owner had to return to Ireland to earn money to finish the building. But he emphasizes that he has no regrets, because this is the house of his dreams.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
