Contemporary architecture in a historical city is a natural element of intertwining symbolism of epochs. It is a sign of the times that allows defining the character of resonance in context while providing a pretext for analyzing the phenomenon of mutual interaction of historical forms and those created contemporarily. In the general understanding of the city - a space that should be perceived as utilitas, firmitas, venustas (utility, durability, beauty) - research was undertaken related to the composition of selected spaces of squares and markets in the city of Poznań, whose character has changed in the last two decades of the 20th century. The aim of the conducted research is to find an answer to the question of whether formal intervention in the context of the historical fabric of the city can go beyond the generally accepted principles of good continuation, or should constitute a composition that fits into the context of compositional durability. The research activities were based on individual observations, assessment of specific cases, and selected scientific positions. An important tool in the research also turned out to be the method of form analysis, related to the assessment of individual compositional elements and considered in terms of the operation of artifacts from the field of visual arts. The entire study is also an attempt to determine how far a designer can deviate from the existing character of space so that the space user-recipient can exist with a sense of stability and identity in the place.