The historic townhouse standing at 11 Gdańska Street in Łódź, known as the Juliusz Gernoth House, will finally undergo extensive renovation. After years of preparation, the city has signed a contract with the contractor, which marks the start of work to restore the building’s historic appearance and bring it up to a standard in line with the current times. The renovated building will house 40 flats, five commercial premises and a new green courtyard. The entire investment, costing almost PLN 37 million, is expected to be completed within two years.
11 Gdańska Street – history of the building
The tenement house was erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Its design is attributed to the Lodz architect Adolf Zeligson, the author of many representative realisations in the city centre. In its heyday, the building was an ornament of Stary Polesie, but over the last decades it fell into disrepair. Its poor technical condition forced the municipal authorities to demolish the gables above the cornice and remove the three-storey bay window. Now, as part of the renovation, the missing elements will be reconstructed and the tenement will regain its original form.
Renovation of the Juliusz Gernoth tenement house
Once the renovation is complete, the building will contain 40 flats, four of which will be adapted for people with disabilities. The ground floor will be used for five commercial premises, and all floors will be served by two lifts. The entrances to the building and units will be free of architectural barriers, allowing easy access from the pavement and courtyard level. The interiors have been designed with functionality and user comfort in mind. The flats will be equipped with modern heating and mechanical ventilation systems, as well as new electrical, teletechnical, water and sewage systems. The project also includes a rainwater system with a retention tank system and the construction of a new district heating hub.
11 Gdańska Street – construction and maintenance works
The scope of works includes drying and strengthening the walls, building new foundations, backfilling the basement and restoring the bay window and balconies. The front elevation, gate clearance, vestibule and staircases will be renovated. Some of the original window woodwork, doors and tiled cookers will be preserved and restored under the supervision of a conservator. The works will also include the removal and restoration of stucco, rosettes and the tiled parquet floor. The balconies will also be rebuilt, along with decorative balustrades that have been damaged or completely removed over the years. Particular attention has been given to restoring the façade to its former appearance, so that the building will once again receive the rich detailing and proportions characteristic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The reconstructed gables and bay window will restore the building to its former composition as one of the more representative corners in this part of the city.
Green courtyard and new communal space
The courtyard, which has so far remained very neglected, will also be renovated. It will be transformed into a friendly space with new pavements, plants and small architectural objects. The project plans to place bicycle racks here and a pergola with benches around one of the two newly planted trees. The wall of the neighbouring building will be decorated with a mural, which will become a new visual accent. The facades on the courtyard side will receive new plaster, windows and doors leading to the reconstructed balconies.
An investment in the future of Stary Polesie
The renovation of the Juliusz Gernoth tenement house at Gdańska 11 is the next stage of a wide-ranging programme to revitalise the centre of Łódź, including the renovation of historic residential buildings and the improvement of public spaces. The value of the project is nearly PLN 37 million and the completion time is scheduled for 24 months from the signing of the contract. If the works proceed according to schedule, the first residents will move into the renovated premises in 2027.
Source: lodz.pl
Read also: Łódź | Tenement | Renovation | Elevation | City | whiteMAD on Instagram
Gdańska 11 at present and in the future. Photo: Google Maps and lodz.pl
