Another Łódź tenement will regain its former glory. In 2022, the city settled the ownership rights to the property at 1 Włókiennicza Street, so that work on the preparation of the investment could start. Construction work began in late 2023 and early 2024.
The tenement house at 1 Włókiennicza Street is undergoing comprehensive modernisation. As part of the works, the façade will be renovated, the building structure will be strengthened, the interiors will be rebuilt and all installations will be replaced. The courtyard will also be greened and made more attractive. The new façade will use an ecological thermal insulation system, the main component of which is recycled granulated cork. Its use guarantees optimum thermal and moisture conditions for the render and protects against water condensation on its surface.
Contractor teams are working on reinforcing the foundations and insulating the foundation walls, the backfilling of basements is also underway, as is the demolition of internal walls and the masonry of new ones. The ceilings (from wooden to reinforced concrete) and window lintels will soon be replaced. The building will house 20 council flats of various sizes and two business premises. The contractor for the construction work is Zakład Usług Komunalnych in Łódź. The value of the investment is nearly PLN 12 million.
Włókiennicza 1 now and after the ongoing redevelopment. Photo: Google Maps and Zarząd Inwestycji Miejskich w Łodzi
Włókiennicza Street is a short street of just over three hundred metres, connecting Jana Kilińskiego Street with Wschodnia Street. Its history dates back to pre-war times, when it was called Kamienna, only to be renamed Von-Stein-Strasse during the German occupation. There used to be several houses of worship along the street, including synagogues. One notable landmark is the neo-Renaissance tenement house of the urban architect Hilary Majewski, which was built between 1883 and 1886 and now serves as a multi-family building. The street was mentioned by Agnieszka Osiecka in the lyrics of her song ‘Kochankowie z ulicy Kamiennej’, where she referred to its former name. A bas-relief commemorating the artist was created on the façade of one of the tenement houses.
The tenement house now and in the future. Photo: Google Maps and Management of Municipal Investments in Łódź
Between 2021 and 2023, the street underwent a revitalisation as part of the “Area Revitalisation of the Centre of Łódź” project. At that time it gained a new form in the form of a woonerf, where the boundary between the roadway and the pavement was blurred. It was paved with stone cubes of various colours, creating the main artistic composition. A pedestrian lane has been marked out along the facades of the buildings, and car traffic is restricted. There is also a pocket park with a playground and a plant irrigation system.
As a result of these changes, 13 renovated townhouses have already been put into use, providing communal housing, small business premises and community facilities. Some of the townhouses have been given a modern post-modern style.
Vlókiennicza Street is a place full of history, culture and change, which continues to attract the attention of residents and tourists, delighting them with its new, renewed face.
Source: Municipal Investment Authority of Łódź
Read also: Łódź | Tenement | Renovation | Metamorphosis | Detail | whiteMAD on Instagram
