The tenement house standing at 6 Lwowska Street in Warsaw is an example of early modernism architecture with elements of classicism and art nouveau, which makes it an interesting point on the map of urban buildings of the early 20th century. The building, constructed between 1909 and 1910, is not only a testimony to its era, but also a history of changes in ownership, wartime destruction and post-war reconstruction.
The building was commissioned by Adolf Daab, a building entrepreneur of German origin. It is presumed that he may have carried out the project himself as an investor. As early as 1911, the building passed into the hands of Stefania Aleksandrowiczowa. The fact that the ownership changed so quickly suggests that the tenement may have been planned from the start as a building for sale.
During the Second World War, the building suffered severe damage, forcing the demolition of most of the annexes. Only the south outbuilding survived, which brought more light into the courtyard. The front house was reconstructed, but the damage was so extensive that in some places it reached three storeys. As a result, the original architectural details have not survived in their entirety.
6 Lwowska Street represents the traditional layout of the façade, which, despite its date of construction, retains an almost flat character, enriched by balconies and motifs taken from classicism and neo-baroque. A modernist feature visible in the body of the building is the use of asymmetry, which adds dynamism to the façade.
The interior of the gateway passage is finished in cream terracotta. The space is divided into six bays. At a height of about 80 cm, a smooth decorative strip runs across the lisens. The two-rung front staircase is finished in white-grey terrazzo with a distinctive mottled pattern. The handrail balustrades are decorated with patterns of concentric parallelograms and stylised flowers.
The outbuilding contains the original preserved cement staircase and balustrades with vertical bars interlaced with mouldings. The floors are made of terracotta tiles in a black and white chequered pattern, laid at an angle. The whole creates an extremely elegant impression.
The tenement house at 6 Lwowska Street is an extremely interesting example of urban housing from the early 20th century. Despite the damage and simplifications introduced during reconstruction, the building still retains many elements of its original character and remains a valuable witness to the city’s history.
Source: lapidarium.fundacja-hereditas.pl, nepomuki.pl
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