In Łódź, at 17 Roosevelta Street, there is a tenement house whose interior hides a real treasure – one of the most beautiful hallways in the whole city. Although the building may seem inconspicuous from the outside, its gate clearance, staircase and decorative details are a true work of art. The recent renovation of the building by the Design Lab Group restored not only the façade but also the richly decorated interior to its former glory.
History of the building at 17 Roosevelta St
The tenement house was built in 1895 for the industrialist Konrad Gessner, to a design by Gustav Landau-Gutenteger. Gessner ran a trading house on Piotrkowska Street, where, among other things, dyes were sold. In 1918, the building served for a year as the headquarters of the United Council of Workers’ Delegates of Lodz. Today, it houses the House of Literature and the building itself is listed in the register of historical monuments. The gate of the tenement house was also immortalised in Andrzej Wajda’s film “Powidoki”.
Representative façade
The façade of the tenement house is maintained in the Neo-Baroque style, which emphasises its representative character. On the extreme axes, the attic was originally replaced by loggias, which were converted into flats in the interwar period. The design of the building was developed with a flair befitting its prestigious location on Roosevelt Street. The building follows the compositional and functional pattern typical of Łódź, but its decoration is distinguished by a wealth of Baroque details. The large amount of ornamentation, juxtaposed with the chiaroscuro effect on the façade, gives the building an impression of exceptional splendour and monumentality.
Decorations of the hallway in the Gessner tenement house
The beautiful gateway impresses with its gilded decorations, marble walls and wood details. During restoration work, polychromes in the form of floral ornaments in shades of beige, brown and green were also discovered. In the staircase, however, traces of marbling, i.e. painting intended to imitate marble, were found. Every detail, including the stained-glass windows, has been restored with the utmost care, bringing the interiors back to their former splendour.
Renovation of the facade and interiors at 17 Roosevelta Street
The renovation work involved restoring the building’s façade, stairwells, gate passage and courtyard. The building’s original façade colour was restored and decorative details were restored. On the courtyard side, two balconies have been rebuilt, and the wooden windows and external blinds have regained their former form. The common areas once again feature panelling, wall paintings and decorative grilles. Elegant lighting has also appeared, highlighting the magnificent architectural qualities. The small courtyard was also renovated.
Source: Design Lab Group, KamienicoweLove, lodz.naszemiasto.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Tenement | Monument | Metamorphosis | Łódź | whiteMAD on Instagram
