The tenement house standing at 11 Lwowska Street is one of the most valuable examples of early modernism in the capital. The building was constructed in 1911, commissioned by Count Tomasz Zamoyski, and designed by the renowned architect Ludwik Panczakiewicz (1873-1935), who received his education at St Petersburg universities. Panczakiewicz was the co-creator of such Warsaw architectural icons as the Church of St Florian in Praga, the Church of St Stanislaus in Wola, the nearby Church of the Saviour and the facades of the Halls of Mirowskie. His oeuvre also includes the tenements at 6 Marszałkowska Street and the corner of Poznańska Street and Jerozolimskie Avenue.
The tenement house at 11 Lwowska Street is distinguished by its luxury and elegance, representing the pinnacle of early 20th century residential architecture. The building is a five-storey, two-bay structure, and its symmetrical front elevation was designed in the Late Renaissance style. The façade is dominated by sophisticated decoration with floral and geometric motifs characteristic of Art Nouveau. A special feature are the two semi-cylindrical bay windows that run through the three storeys, adding to the dynamism of the building.
The entrance to the building is guarded by quarter spherical bumpers, and the gate passage retains terracotta tiles in grey and yellow and dark green and maroon tiles on the walls. The original marble staircase, the plaster decoration in the form of flower vases above the entrance doors to the flats and the original door woodwork emphasise the luxurious character of the townhouse. Also surviving in the staircases are the floor tiles produced by the well-known Dziewulski and Lange company and the original balustrades.
During the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, 11 Lwowska Street was in the centre of fighting, and at the height of the tenement there was a barricade-crossing fiercely defended by the insurgents. The roof of the building was severely damaged at that time – the frontage from the street suffered particularly. Post-war restoration work focused on restoring only the central part of the top storey, which was based on the original triangular gable. Unfortunately, the reconstruction of the gabled bay roofs was not undertaken, which altered the original appearance of the building.
The tenement house at 11 Lwowska Street was home to many wealthy Warsaw residents – lawyers, professors and artists. Its history is inextricably linked to the turbulent history of the city, and the building itself is a monument to the architecture and bourgeois culture of Warsaw over a hundred years ago. Its preserved details and early modern style make it a unique building, worthy of attention and protection.
A comprehensive renovation of the building, bitten by the tooth of time and history, is currently being planned. There is a chance that during the future renovation, the top floor of the front tract and the finials of the bay windows will be restored according to Panczakiewicz’s original design. Such an initiative would bring out the most beautiful things in the building.
Source: nepomuki.pl, lapidarium.fundacja-hereditas.pl
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