On the section between Poznańska and Emilia Plater Streets, there is a tenement house with the address Wilcza 65, which is one of the most interesting buildings in Warsaw’s Downtown. The building was erected at the end of the 19th century for the entrepreneur Jan Meyer and represents the historicist style with clear references to neo-Baroque. The tenement still impresses with its wealth of architectural and artistic details, even though its history was extremely turbulent.
The tenement at No. 65 was built for Jan Meyer, a wealthy tobacco merchant who ran his shop at 88 Marszałkowska St. At a time when Warsaw entrepreneurs were keen to invest in representative buildings, Meyer also opted for an elegant, richly decorated tenement. The building was built in the Neo-Baroque style with elements of Art Nouveau, which gave it a particularly refined aesthetic. The front elevation was characterised by numerous details that attested to the artistic class of the building.
During the Warsaw Uprising, the building was severely damaged. Although the facade from the side of Wilcza Street essentially survived, the interiors were almost completely burnt down. The roofs and ceilings were destroyed, and part of the front elevation at the level of the last storey collapsed. One of the outbuildings was also completely ruined.
After the war, thanks to the allocation of flats in the building to employees of the Ministry of Defence, the building was rebuilt, which saved it from demolition. As part of the work, however, some of the façade decoration was abandoned. Some elements, such as finials and balconies, were made in a simplified form, and the original colours and texture of the materials were lost by painting the façade with paint.
Despite the damage, many decorative elements have survived to this day. The gateway passage is decorated with pilasters, arcaded blends and cornices, and the floor is tiled with fine terracotta tiles in yellow. The main staircase retains its marble staircase, wrought-iron decorative balustrades and decorated tiles with a carpet pattern, giving the interior a unique character.
A comprehensive restoration of the building’s façade was completed at the end of 2021. The work included the restoration of the eclectic decorations, which were made using Romanesque cement. This material, very popular in the 19th century, was distinguished by its durability and ability to faithfully imitate stone. It was produced from clayey limestone marls mixed with aggregates, making it popular with architects in the neo-style era. After the First World War, however, it was displaced by cheaper alternatives such as Portland cement and gypsum.
The tenement in 1999 and today, after renovation. Source: Public Archive of Warsaw www.tubylotustalo.pl, Author: Paweł Arczewski and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The renovation of the facade of the tenement standing at Wilcza 65 was financially supported by the City of Warsaw, which allocated PLN 200,000 for this purpose. The works made it possible to restore the former glory of the building, which is one of the most valuable examples of neo-Baroque residential architecture in Warsaw.
Source: um.warszawa.pl, Warsaw without secrets
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