Three Roman Catholic churches, built in Wrocław over the past several decades, were subjected to an analysis in the article. The author presented an aesthetic analysis of geometric forms which represent the different stylistic motifs that had been present during the period in our country. Postmodernism—rich in geometric ornamentation and called “romantic geometry”—from the beginning of the 1980’s was clashed with the calm, geometric new modernism from a slightly later period. In each case it was the context and the tradition of the historically rich city that became the superior value.

Zaha Hadid was a starchitect, trying to fulfil the mission of pursuing new shapes in her many designs and projects, often shocking others with extravagant forms that were unthinkable in the traditional understanding of our reality. The author of this paper presents a proposal of dividing her work into three tendencies: an inspiration with Constructivism, Biomorphism and Expressionism.

Professor T. Szafer was an excellent academic, scholar, writer, organiser of numerous conferences devoted to the Polish contemporary architecture, author of ca. 300 scientific papers. Professor Szafer was a distinguished expert on the most recent architecture, and his publications on the Polish architecture after the World War II from the 1970s and 1980s have been cited during many scientific conferences and constitute the fundamental critical literature from that period, especially today, when the issue of the protection of the Polish architecture erected in that period has become essential.

In the article the author acquaints the readers with a number of renovated nineteenth-century market halls, that are located in Barcelona, as well as the Markthal, a new and large market hall opened in Rotterdam in 2014. Avant-garde contemporary designs were presented, demonstrating the philosophy of introducing new shapes into a historical environment different for each architect. Apart from the predominant function of selling foodstuffs from practically all over the world, market halls are places, that are proof of the individuality and local traditions of every European city.

Rapid urban development in the second half of the 20th century led to increasingly urbanized structures. As a result, industrial areas that were previously located on the periphery have found themselves in the inner city areas, contributing to the deterioration of the environmental quality and the attractiveness of these areas. Their closure requires the revitalization of decayed areas. The aim of this paper is to present parks built in post-industrial areas in the context of the need to preserve the post-industrial heritage and place-based identity, and to improve the environmental and climatic values of cities. The study’s methodology consists of literature studies, in-situ field research and the use of geo-information systems. Based on an analysis and a detailed comparative study of selected projects carried out in Paris, Barcelona and Turin over the last forty years, the authors demonstrated that brownfield sites are transformed into green parks for leisure and recreation, forming part of the green-blue infrastructure of cities. They improve the environmental conditions of congested city centres, which is particularly important in the face of rapid climate change. The use of decayed brownfield sites for the redevelopment of high and medium-height greenery can help to reduce the urban heat island effect and air pollution. The struggle for a clean environment can be fought using natural structures, with greenery in parks and gardens becoming a tool for improving the climate and increasing urban water retention.