Krzysztof Wiśniowski

Krzysztof Wiśniowski (born 1944) is a Polish architect, who lived and worked in Kuwait. Notable projects include the Port Authority Headquarters, Kuwait.

Early life and education Wiśniowski was born in Ustroń, Poland and studied architecture at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology from 1962 to 1968.

Early career In 1969, Wiśniowski together with Mieczysław Sowa and Ryszard Żabiński won the 1st prize of the C.Z.S.B.M competition for the city housing estate - :pl:Śródmiejska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa w Łodzi - in Łódź, Poland, a flagship project of the regime of Edward Gierek. In 1974 with Andrzej Bohdanowicz, Ryszard Daczkowski and Edward Lach he again won the C.Z.S.B.M competition for the housing estate Kozanów, Wrocław. Wiśniowski began his international career in 1977, when he was employed by the office of Shiber Consult, headed by Victor Shiber, Kuwait. One of his first projects with Shiber Consult was the design for the Library in Damascus, Syria. Working with Shiber Consult in cooperation with the Industrial and Engineering Consulting Office (INCO), Kuwait, Wiśniowski and Bohdanowicz won two significant international competitions: the first was the National Housing Authority competition for the Sabah al Salem housing project in 1977; the second, the National Theatre, Kuwait in 1978. The complex comprised the Port Authority Headquarters with a 3000 vehicle car park, administration and custom offices, import and export departments, various agencies and banks, the Marine Museum and Library.

Wiśniowski's last major project with INCO was designing and supervising the Ministry of Interior (MOI) headquarters commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works in Kuwait. Other international projects include the 1994–1996 Kuwait Embassy complex in Beijing, China and the 1996 Kuwait Consulate General in Dubai, 1st prize winner of the M.O.F.A competition, Kuwait. In 1997, Krzysztof Wiśniowski redesigned the catholic cathedral compound in Kuwait, described as 'the main attraction' of the migrant Philipindia area of Jibla. His postmodern design reflects on foreign tradition and the symbolic elements it embodies, while accommodating Kuwait laws and customs. In 2005 he moved offices to become director at Soor Engineering Bureau, where he designed more commercial projects, including The Cliffs Residential Complex, Salmiya, The Clover Center, Jabriya, the February 25 & 26 Towers, Sharq and Wafra Tower, Salmiya.

Exhibitions and Events

Architecture in Global Socialism: Eastern Europe, West Africa and the Middle East in the Cold War, Łukasz Stanek's Book Launch, Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw, 2020. Krzysztof Wiśniowski, Anna Wiśniowska, Magdalena Wiśniowska, Jan Wiśniowski, 1969–2006, Museum of Architecture in Wrocław, 2006.