Mauro Tosco, The Dhaasanac Language. Grammar, Texts, Vocabulary of a Cushitic Language of Ethiopia (Kuschitische Sprachstudien, Band 17), Rudiger Koppe Verlag, Koln 2001. xiv+ 598 pp.+ 20 photos. Price e 65.45. ISBN 3-89645-064-6.

The purpose of the present study is to summarize and etymologize the terms designating ,,year" and its seasons in Berber languages

This article evaluates potential ways in which Hans W. Frei's interpretative approach and his reconstruction of pre-critical hermeneutics can be profitably used in the modem exegesis of the patriarchal narratives, especially of the Abraham Story in Gen 12-25. It begins with a short analysis of the critical voices which have been raised against Frei's theory over the last 30 years. This analysis helps to highlight both the obvious strengths and deficiencies of Frei's approach. Next, the article focuses on the model text of Gen 15 and asks further questions concerning the applicability of pre-critical hermeneutics to biblical narratives. This discussion results in a number of conclusions and in a blueprint for combining traditional and critical approaches within one methodologically correct model.

Ancient Egyptian represents the typologically marked case of a language in which the dynamic-stative contrast among verbs correlates with two finite verb paradigms. Building on earlier work (Reintges 2005, 2006), the present study examines the morphosyntax of the Stative inflectional paradigm by combining synchronie, diachronic and typological viewpoints. The Stative is a showcase for the diachronic stability of an inflectional category, remaining an integral part of the Egyptian verbal system throughout its entire history. In spite of this diachronic stability, it undergoes inflectional changes. The morphological simplification and paradigm erosion that we see with the Stative in later stages represents a hitherto unnoticed case of endogenous morphological change, which proceeds largely independently of concomitant syntactic and semantic changes.

The state of the built environment makes one inclined to ponder how ethics affects the space that is designed and its aesthetic quality. As a consequence, there arise questions concerning the provisions of ethical codes of professional conduct that architects must adhere to on the one hand, while on the other, the practical guidelines for architectural design and planning. In a period when matters of durability (firmitas) and utility (utilitas) have been largely dominated by other branches of design, including the matters of ecology, beauty (venustas) has come to be considered as the most essential constituent attribute of architecture. Selected interpretations of Beauty and its relationship with Good (Vitruvius, 1954; Tatarkiewicz, 1962, 1982) have been presented, including in light of the latest findings of neurobiology and neuroaesthetics (Zeki, 2011, 2019; Qiuling et al., 2018; Ishizu, Tsukiura, Cabeza, 2011). The term appropriateness (Krakowski, 1989) is herein accepted, understood as a notion of intentional, socially conditioned beauty and considered proper to describe the aesthetic standard of the built environment under design. This paper is an attempt at finding practical methods of ensuring aesthetic quality (beauty) in newly designed and redesigned spatial situations. It identifies the field of professional law (the ethical code of conduct for architects), wherein aesthetic matters are largely ignored on the one hand, while on the other it points to the necessity to teach and implement a design process that is tender (Tokarczuk, 2019) and mindful (Dominiczak, 2016) dialogue in a specific understanding of encounters with the Other (the Second), whether it’s an architect, a user or a structure. It notes the proposal of creative aesthetics (Sławińska, 1973) as a potentially possible integral branch of design. Contrary to the professional ethics of architects, which pertains to individuals who practice design and are ethically responsible for their professional conduct (design), the ethic of architecture refers to aesthetic relationships that emerge in architectural situations (Dominiczak, 2016). In this understanding, built structures are personified and seen as entities with their own identities (if the designer wills it) that engage in dialogue with Other entities (Levinas, 1998), which both create and define a given space.

This text is to familiarise readers with the theme of the volume, which is oriented towards matters of the spatial structure and functions of urbanised areas, with a particular emphasis on social aspects.

The East of Europe stays at present on the background of interests in the new architecture. Meanwhile Moscow is a major city of Europe and there many interesting implementations are occurring. For her the office market intensively is being extended, at least in contrast with countries of the free market democracy, it is playing the political factor there major part. From interesting implementations they mentioned the Moscow International Business Centre as about the big urban planning operation and about Dominion Building Office as about interesting Zaha Hadid work.

This article discusses the multi-threaded and multi-dimensional process of preparing a technical designs that lead to the introduction of new forms of use into existing urban and architectural structures of high historical value. It covers research concerning formal and spatial determinants, associated with local law in selected European countries. Its results point to concise, precise and easily understandable provisions in terms of local law concerning planned development in areas under heritage conservation, which is conducive to a climate of social acceptance of constraints and prohibitions that — some — may consider significant.

This paper discusses the study of the atmosphere of architecture, which places human perception of space at the centre, and thus expands the humanist aspect of architectural and urban theory and design. Referring her own research to the current state of the art, the author presents various definitions of atmosphere and methodologies of its description, which considerably encroach into the field of neurophysiology and psychology, but also value contemplation, literary descriptions, photographs and stage design in a new light.

The art of architecture and the art of cooking are fields, where we can find numerous social and spatial relationships. This publication will enumerate the most important of these and discuss solutions, that promote moderation in using resources, space and aesthetic means, that are based on knowledge arising from context and the human scale, and that points to the necessity to slow down the pace of our lives, which are the major challenges in the face of contemporary civilisational changes.

The article outlines an idea that, according to the author, could serve as a ‘philosophical reinforcement’ of interdisciplinary trends in contemporary urbanistic theory. Assuming that the reflection on the philosophical aspects of the urbanistic order will help in the conceptualization of policies that respond more effectively to today’s crisis in the urban environment, the author attempts to articulate questions that could facilitate a dialogue between urban planners and philosophers. He focuses his attention on the issues of the philosophical basis of the new urban structure of the city in the first half of the 21st century. The idea behind this cultural project was called the City of Values 21 ( CV-21).

The paper presents the results of the research on the assessment of environmental conditions in selected university buildings — focused on building-surroundings relations. The research was conducted in 5 buildings in a few academic centers in Poland, using questionnaire technique. The respondents were students of architecture, art, psychology and landscape architecture, in the surveyed buildings (N=184). Analysis of the results — apart from the main finding of the general lack of the ‘space for students’ (including both individual workplaces and recreational spaces) — revealed the important role of the surroundings for the way of use and description of the buildings. ‘Location’ and generally ‘external’ elements such as garden, greenery and small architecture for recreation, the ‘edges’ of the building (such as the elevation and the roof) as well as the direct visual connections, constituted the largest group among all respondents’ ‘strengths’ of analyzed buildings. A significant and puzzling exception in this group is the latest in the analyzed WICA building in Lublin — best evaluated in terms of functionality but also described with the most neutral terms (on the ‘positive’ scale), whose students (N=31) in their assessments and descriptions do not take into account (or do not notice) the building-environment relationship. The analysis of the results revealed individualized image of the places. ‘Functionality’ occured to be not the only one predictor of behavioral and emotional bonds with places; the important role is also — as it seems — played by a ‘friendly’ environment. This — basing on the analysis of the content — means both selected aspect of urban relationships (accessibility, public transportation, facilities), but also the quality (beauty and utility) of landscape architecture.

The on-going economic transformation of the Moscow market towards the provision of services and trade requires the revitalisation of many districts. The case study — the Dominion Tower building — shows that solutions in the field of architecture and urban planning of buildings whose construction can be categorised as local architectural intervention into existing urban structure may be decisive in the success of an undertaking aimed at activating urban tissue within the interference area.

The increasing demand for office space in Moscow, as well as the economic and political conditions in the global context, have contributed to the construction of a multifunctional complex of the Moscow International Business Centre in the Russian capital. The primarily office building complex is an example of activities consisting in the degleration of offices outside the city centre. It is also an attempt to create a prestigious place (including attractive architecture), an element of the city identity indicating a high development level of the state, application of new solutions in the fields of urban planning and architecture (including technique and modern technologies). Key words: Moscow International Business Centre, multifunctional office complex, office building, urban operation, post-industrial reconstruction, Moscow