WARSAW, 08.10.2026
ATMOSPHERE IN TRANSFORMATION | The impact of color, material and space on human perception
In 2026, the JUNG Architecture Talks are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Building networks, staying informed, enjoying engaging presentations and discussing professional topics in a relaxed atmosphere – this is what our format will continue to stand for.
On 8 October 2026, the JUNG Architecture Talks returned to Warsaw for the fourth time. Under the title Atmosphere in Transformation, the focus was on interior architecture and its ability to shape our perception of space. After all, we do not experience spaces through our eyes alone. Colour and material, light and texture, proportion and acoustics determine how we move through them, how we feel – and what we remember about them. Atmosphere is not simply a by-product of good design. It can be designed. But what makes a space distinctive? How can colour and material evoke emotions, provide orientation or deliberately challenge expectations? And how can interiors meet functional requirements while developing an identity of their own? “Atmosphere in Transformation” explored the interplay of those design elements that turn space into an experience.
Barbara Wiethoff, Partner at JOI-Design in Hamburg, brought her international experience in designing hotels and cruise ships to the discussion. Aleksander Czerwonka-Jabłoński, Co-Owner of the Wrocław-based studio CUDO, represented a design approach characterised by distinctive hospitality and commercial interiors in which bold design meets functionality and the specific needs of users. Silvia Schellenberg-Thaut of Atelier ST in Leipzig completed the panel, adding a further architectural perspective to the discussion on space and atmosphere.
The Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, designed by the Warsaw-based office Projekt Praga, provided a special setting for exploring how spaces affect people and create atmosphere, with its multi-award-winning architecture.
The evening was moderated by Marcin Szczelina, founder and editor-in-chief of ArchitSnob.
On 8 October 2026, the JUNG Architecture Talks returned to Warsaw for the fourth time. Under the title Atmosphere in Transformation, the focus was on interior architecture and its ability to shape our perception of space. After all, we do not experience spaces through our eyes alone. Colour and material, light and texture, proportion and acoustics determine how we move through them, how we feel – and what we remember about them. Atmosphere is not simply a by-product of good design. It can be designed. But what makes a space distinctive? How can colour and material evoke emotions, provide orientation or deliberately challenge expectations? And how can interiors meet functional requirements while developing an identity of their own? “Atmosphere in Transformation” explored the interplay of those design elements that turn space into an experience.
Barbara Wiethoff, Partner at JOI-Design in Hamburg, brought her international experience in designing hotels and cruise ships to the discussion. Aleksander Czerwonka-Jabłoński, Co-Owner of the Wrocław-based studio CUDO, represented a design approach characterised by distinctive hospitality and commercial interiors in which bold design meets functionality and the specific needs of users. Silvia Schellenberg-Thaut of Atelier ST in Leipzig completed the panel, adding a further architectural perspective to the discussion on space and atmosphere.
The Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, designed by the Warsaw-based office Projekt Praga, provided a special setting for exploring how spaces affect people and create atmosphere, with its multi-award-winning architecture.
The evening was moderated by Marcin Szczelina, founder and editor-in-chief of ArchitSnob.
Impressions
Photography: Pola Kardas
BARBARA WIETHOFF
JOI-DESIGN, HAMBURG
Barbara Wiethoff is an architect and interior architect and Partner at JOI-Design in Hamburg. After graduating in Architecture and Interior Architecture from Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, she gained extensive experience in yacht design, high-end residential interiors, retail design and architecture. She joined JOI-Design in 2007 and today is particularly responsible for international hotel and cruise ship projects. Since 2024, she has led the company together with Sabrina Voecks and Thomas Scholz, shaping both its creative direction and strategic development.
www.joi-design.com
www.joi-design.com
ALEKSANDER CZERWONKA-JABŁOŃSKI
CUDO, WROCLAW
Aleksander Czerwonka-Jabłoński is an architect and co-owner of Wrocław-based interior architecture studio CUDO. He studied Architecture at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and Landscape Architecture at the University of Environmental and Life Sciences. With CUDO, he focuses on hospitality and commercial interiors. The studio is known for a bold and distinctive approach that combines creativity and high design standards with functionality and a clear understanding of the needs of both users and businesses.
www.cudostudio.pl
www.cudostudio.pl
SILVIA SCHELLENBERG-THAUT
ATELIER ST, LEIPZIG
Silvia Schellenberg-Thaut is an architect based in Leipzig. After graduating in 2001, she initially worked as an employed architect before founding Atelier ST together with her husband, Sebastian Thaut, in 2005. They have jointly led the practice ever since. In 2007, she became the youngest member at the time to be appointed to the BDA (Association of German Architects). Since 2015, she has also been active in academia, holding several guest and interim professorships at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, TU Darmstadt and BTU Cottbus. From 2018 to 2024, she was a member of the Design Advisory Board of the City of Bamberg; since 2025, she has served on the Design Advisory Board of the Hanseatic City of Stralsund.
“We bring old and new together, drawing out the best of every historical layer. The result is high-quality, individually tailored solutions across different scales, typologies and locations, allowing the existing and the contemporary to merge. Our work focuses on art and cultural buildings, exclusive private residences and hospitality projects, with a particular expertise in building within historically evolved contexts.”
www.atelier-st.de
“We bring old and new together, drawing out the best of every historical layer. The result is high-quality, individually tailored solutions across different scales, typologies and locations, allowing the existing and the contemporary to merge. Our work focuses on art and cultural buildings, exclusive private residences and hospitality projects, with a particular expertise in building within historically evolved contexts.”
www.atelier-st.de
Image: © Robert Rieger
