In Warsaw’s Śródmieście district stands a tenement house with two fronts and two addresses: Piękna 43 and Koszykowa 58. At the beginning of 2023, thanks to a city grant, the renovation of one of the facades – the one on the Koszykowa side – was completed. Now the housing community has taken on the facade on the Piękna Street side. The City of Warsaw supported this investment with a grant of PLN 320,000, which is 50% of the city’s share of the cost of the work.
The grandiose townhouse from the early 20th century survived the war, but was later rebuilt. Earlier renovations in 1975-77 and in the 1990s had been ineffective, leading to damage and an impoverished façade. Although from a distance the building made a good impression, up close one could see very numerous cracks and chipping of the plaster and stucco decoration. The balconies were covered with a black layer of dirt and algae.
The façade from Koszykowa Street after renovation
During the recent work, defects were repaired, architectural details were strengthened and the original colour scheme of the façade facing Koszykowa Street was restored. The conservation of the stone balconies enhanced their beauty, and the community also decided to replace the entrance doors. The grant amounted to PLN 200,000, which accounted for 34.22% of the cost of the renovation.
After a year’s break, the housing community is continuing work on the second front elevation – on the Piękna Street side. They are being carried out in the same way as those from two years ago. They consist of scraping off loose plaster and filling it in, deepening cracks and gluing and anchoring them. The surface of the walls will be consolidated by covering with a layer of putty locally reinforced with mesh, embedded in mortar.
Finally, the walls will be painted with mineral paints in a slightly lighter colour, similar to the first, original layer, which was confirmed by colour tests. The gypsum architectural detailing will also undergo renovation. After cleaning, it will be reinforced with anchors, cracks will be repaired and cavities will be filled. The work will also include cleaning the stone and cast iron balcony railings.
The renovation of the façade on the side of Koszykowa Street has been carried out in the spirit of the era, so that the building presents itself perfectly and the overall effect is very good. For the second phase of the works, their finale should produce a similar result.
Source: um.warszawa.pl
Also read: tenement | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland | Metamorphosis | whiteMAD on Instagram
Subject: Warsaw townhouse with two fronts: renovation of the facade on the side of Piękna Street has begun
