Dworzec kolejowy w Żyrardowie

A masterpiece of Polish architectural thought in a national style. Railway station in Zyrardow

The railway station in Zyrardow, built in the manor house style, is one of the most outstanding achievements of functional architecture of the interwar period. It was designed by the architectural section of the Road Department of the Warsaw Railway Directorate, led by Bronisław Brochowicz-Rogoyski and later by Romuald Miller. The building is part of the trend of buildings erected along the line of the former Warsaw-Vienna Railway as a replacement for the stations destroyed during World War I. The symmetrical plan and forms alluding to the railway station’s name are also part of the design. The symmetrical plan and forms alluding to the national style are characteristic of this period.

In 1840, Henryk hr. Łubieński, owner of the Guzowski estate, undertook to build a railway station in Ruda Guzowska (today Żyrardów) as part of the Warsaw-Vienna Iron Road under construction. The original building, designed by Jan Jakub Gay in the ‘Swiss’ style, did not meet the requirements of the Railway Board. After accusations of embezzlement, Łubieński ultimately failed to complete the building.

The station seen from the side of the platforms, pre-war years. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/
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Between 1872 and 1884, a building in the so-called brick style, typical of railway construction, was erected on the site of the former station. During the First World War the building was severely damaged, forcing its reconstruction. The current station was built between 1920 and 1922, most probably to a design by Romuald Miller. The building was distinguished by its extensive passenger service functions, much like the station in Grodzisk Mazowiecki. In the 1930s, the building was enlarged with arcades with pavilions and underground passageways. The roofs, originally covered with plain tile, were replaced with sheet metal in the 1970s.

Żyrardów railway station in the 1920s and today. Source: Digital National Library Polon and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski

The station, located in the centre of Żyrardów, on the north side of the Warsaw-Lodz railway line tracks, was designed on an elongated rectangular plan with risalits, a central tower and low annexes and arcaded connecting passages leading to side pavilions. The varied body of the building consists of elements of different heights, covered with steep roofs of complex form. What stands out in the building is the two-storey central part with a half-peak roof and the broken, so-called Polish, roofs on the side wings. The tower located in the centre of the building has a complex form with a bulbous finial.

The decoration refers to the style of a Baroque nobleman’s manor house. Characteristic are the high, decorative gables of the risalits with dynamic volute gables, beam and Tuscan pilasters. The three-bay arcade on the side of the square in front of the station is decorated with massive columns with Ionic capitals; the balustrade above it also has volute accents. The station’s window openings are distinguished by rich bands. Additional elegance is added to the building by arcaded panels and oval windows. The arcade connectors are supported by bulging, striking columns. The east gallery leads to the subway.

Dworzec kolejowy w Żyrardowie

The interior of the building is decorated with a coffered ceiling supported by four Ionic columns, while the walls are decorated with Tuscan-style pilasters. The original furnishings of the station include decorative tiled cookers and decorative metal grilles, a reminder of the time of its construction.

Dworzec kolejowy w Żyrardowie

Dworzec kolejowy w Żyrardowie

Despite a comprehensive renovation carried out in 2007, the railway station in Zyrardow is once again in urgent need of restoration work to ensure its longevity and preserve its historical value. The current technical condition leaves much to be desired, but the building still remains an example of high-class architecture with national style features and is a valuable part of the region’s cultural heritage.

The 1980s and the present day. Source: “Spotkania z Zabytkami” No. 3 (49) 1990 and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski

Source: zabytek.pl

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