Historic airplane hangar in Lublin restored to shine

It was built in 1923. The old aircraft hangar is located at 2 Vronska Street in Lublin. It has recently undergone restoration work to bring it back to its glory.

The building was constructed to a design by engineer Stanisław Cywiński. The engineer gathered experience working in Switzerland and became famous for his designs of gliders and aircraft. The hangar in Lublin was built in connection with the expansion of the “Plage/Laśkiewicz” aircraft factory owned by Teofil Laśkiewicz and Kazimierz Arkuszewski. The hangar was built on an elongated rectangular plan, which was covered with a tripartite cylindrical roof. The interior of the building was divided into three parts of similar size, accessed through separate sliding wooden gates. The latter were bricked up when the entire building was reconstructed after the Second World War.

During the post-war renovation of the building, the shape of the window openings was changed. Previously semi-circular, they became rectangular after reconstruction. An annex was added on the north side and the whole building was covered with sheet metal. Inside, the function of the building has changed and the building has become a commercial centre.

The new owner of the building started planning the restoration and adaptation work in 2017. He commissioned the implementation of this task to Lublin-based architect M.Sc. arch. Janusz Szymanek, who developed a design documentation entitled: “Architectural and construction project for the restoration of the historical character of the aircraft hangar building of the former Plage and Laśkiewicz mechanical works in Lublin, 2 Wrońska Street” – informs the Lublin Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments.

During the works it was possible to remove secondary additions, remove the tin cladding and thoroughly renovate the north-western elevation. In the south-east elevation (which was previously decorated with wooden gates and overhead lighting), skylights were installed that resemble those of the original building. In addition, the façade has been decorated with wooden elements to refer to the former hangar gates.

The interior has also been renovated. Today, inside you can find models of the aircraft that were once produced here. The models are, of course, smaller – their scale is 1:3. An exhibition has also been opened inside, where archive photos of the facility are on display. In this way, you can learn about its history and follow the fate of the building, which has changed over the decades, only to return to its former form 100 years later.

photos: WUOZ in Lublin

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