The Pod Gryfami tenement house, located at 18 Plac Trzech Krzyży in Warsaw, was built between 1884 and 1886 to a design by architect Józef Huss, commissioned by the Fuchs family, owners of a chocolate and candy factory. The style of the building combines features of the Italian Renaissance with elements of classicism characteristic of the Stanislaus era.
One of the outstanding architectural elements were the corner gloriettes with domes, inspired by the Królikarnia Palace, which Huss had previously restored. The griffin motif, present on the façade, was taken from the now defunct Reich Bank building in Berlin. The floors housed elegant flats for the owners.
The tenement house before 1939. Photo: Andrzej Jeżewski, “Warszawa na starej fotografii”, Artistic-Graphic Publishing House, Warsaw 1960, p. 143
Years later, the tenement changed ownership, passing into the hands of the Classen family. During World War II, during the Warsaw Uprising, the building was burnt down, which led to the destruction of many elements of the building, including the characteristic gloriettes with domes and parts of the griffin sculptures.
The Pod Gryfami tenement shortly after its commissioning and today. Photo: Stolica weekly/Wikimedia Commons and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The building in 1939 and 2024. Source: State Archives in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
After the war, the tenement was rebuilt without outbuildings and corner gloriettes. Only a couple of griffin sculptures were preserved on the façade at the junction of Bracka Street and Trzech Krzyży Square. In the 1950s the building was adapted for its new function and became the headquarters of the Paged company. The tenement also housed the Hungarian Cultural Institute.
The tenement house at the end of the 1940s and today. Source: NAC – National Digital Archives www.nac.gov.pl/ and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Plac Trzech Krzyży on a postcard from 1913 and today. Source: Digital National Library Polon and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
In 2005-2006, a major renovation was carried out, during which the corner gloriettes and missing griffins were restored and the building regained its former splendour. The tenement also gained an additional floor, hidden in the new roof, which was integrated into the historic block. Today, the Pod Gryfami tenement offers 2,600 sq m of office space and 34 parking spaces. The building has invariably remained one of the most striking features of Trzech Krzyży Square for almost 140 years and is one of Warsaw’s most beautiful townhouses.
Source: warszawa1939.pl, warszawskie-mozaiki.pl
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