Situated in Warsaw’s Promenada-Morskie Oko Park, Szustra Palace is a valuable architectural monument that bears witness to a rich history and architectural transformations over the centuries. Built as a suburban residence, the palace evolved to take on various architectural styles and still attracts attention today with its picturesque location on the edge of the escarpment.
The palace was built between 1772 and 1774 to a design by Efraim Szreger, commissioned by Princess Izabela Lubomirska, née Czartoryska. It was one of the first examples of a suburban villa on Polish soil. It was built on the foundations of an earlier residence from the 17th century, where the tsars of Shuisky stayed. The classicist building, erected on a square plan, had two storeys, risalits on the elevations and a tented roof. A driveway with a grotto led to it from the north, and the eastern elevation had an arcaded terrace offering a view of the Vistula valley.
The villa of Izabela née Czartoryska Lubomirska in 1806, now known as the Szuster Palace. Source: drawing by Frey based on an engraving by Zygmunt Vogel
The garden surrounding the palace was also designed by Szreger, but its development was entrusted to Szymon Bogumił Zug. Zug introduced Romantic elements into the establishment, transforming the eastern elevation and adding a single-storey pavilion called the Murgrabi’s House. The estate was then called Mon coteau (French for ‘my hill’). Further changes took place in the 19th century, when Anna, née Tyszkiewicz, a lover of Neo-Gothic, became owner of the estate. Between 1824 and 1827, Henryk Marconi, commissioned by her, rebuilt the northern and western elevations, giving them neo-Gothic features.
Szustra Palace in 1825 and today. Source: “Widoki dawnej Warszawy”, Dobrosław Kobielski, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warsaw 1984 and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
In the middle of the 19th century the palace passed into the ownership of Franciszek Karol Szustr. On his initiative, Adam Idzkowski added a Neo-Renaissance wing, a turret and rebuilt the Murgrabi House. During World War II the palace was severely damaged by fire, and was later rebuilt in 1962-1965 to a design by Jerzy Brabander as the headquarters of the Warsaw Music Society.
The burnt palace in the 1940s and today. Photo: Sielce – my place in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The outbuildings and garden have also not survived. The Germans also cut down almost the entire park. Only the tower with the dovecote and gate, recently subjected to meticulous restoration, and the Flemish glorieta (the so-called Moorish House, which we wrote about HERE), located on Pulawska Street, survived. They formed part of the entrance to the Szuster estate.
The south side of the palace in the 1920s and today. Source: State Archive in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
In 1899, a mausoleum of the Shusters was built near the estate, where Franciszek Shuster and his wife Rozalia were buried. In 1973 their remains were moved by Tadeusz Szuster to the Powązki cemetery. The palace impresses with its stylistic diversity resulting from numerous reconstructions. Its body, picturesquely incorporated into the slope of the escarpment, presents a diversified number of storeys depending on the elevation. The building is distinguished by its irregular plan, which is the result of a multi-stage expansion.
The neo-Gothic façade in the 1920s and today. Source: State Archive in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Each of the palace’s elevations has unique features. The northern elevation is two-storey, with a distinctive horseshoe-shaped driveway. It has retained neo-Gothic details such as blancs, pinnacles, pointed windows and battlements. The east elevation contains elements designed by Zug. These include a terrace supported by arched arcades and a serliana in the form of a large semi-circular window flanked by two smaller rectangular openings, and decorations in the form of old men’s heads on consoles. The south elevation is distinguished by an octagonal turret and a neo-Renaissance wing, decorated with pilasters, moulded cornices and arcaded windows. The Murgrave’s House, connected to the palace by a semi-circular wall, is in keeping with the style of the whole complex.
The surroundings of the palace in the 1880s and today. Source: “Widoki dawnej Warszawy”, Dobrosław Kobielski, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warsaw 1984 and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The palace’s interiors conceal historicising elements that recall the residence’s former glory days. The museum hall and the library are examples of the preserved decoration, which emphasises the unique character of the place. Today, in addition to the Warsaw Music Society, the building also houses the Scena 96 theatre.
Szustra Palace in the 1970s and in 2024. Source: album “Warszawa od wyzwolenia do naszych dni” (Warsaw from liberation to our days), Wyd. Sport i turystyka, 1975 and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Source: zabytek.pl, sekretywarszawy.pl
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Monument | Palace | History | Warsaw | Interesting facts
