The Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments has decided to enter the tenement standing at 9A Wilcza Street in Warsaw into the register of monuments. The building was constructed between 1923 and 1925 to a design by Gustaw Trzciński, one of the pioneers of reinforced concrete construction in Poland.
Wilcza 9A – history of the property
The tenement house is located in the southern frontage of the street delimited on the grounds of the former Kałęczyński manor. The plot was subdivided in the second half of the 19th century, and a new stage of its history began with the purchase by Eng. Feliks Wiślicki, a chemist and director of the Tomaszów Artificial Silk Factory. Hilary de Chardonnet, inventor of artificial silk, also contributed to the investment. On the western side of the plot, a four-storey tenement house with a single courtyard was erected. The construction was carried out by the firm Paweł Holc i S-ka. The building served as the headquarters of the Warsaw branch of the Board of Directors of the Tomaszów Artificial Silk Factory, which was the first in the Russian Empire to start producing artificial fibres.
Functions of the building in the interwar period
In the interwar period, the tenement house was the seat of several institutions and enterprises. Among others, the “Kandem” Electrical Society, the Maximilian Engel Agent Office and the “Auto-Koncern” Showroom, which was the Polish representative office of the Chrysler brand, operated here. The building also hosted cultural events, such as charity concerts organised by the “Radio” Society. Part of the tenement was occupied by comfortable flats designed for the more affluent residents.
9A Wilcza Street – post-war fate
The building survived the Second World War without significant damage, except for damage to a section of the roof at the front. In the 1950s repairs were carried out and the interior layout was partly changed. During this period, the building housed, among others, the Presidium of the National Council, the Social Insurance Institution, the District Social Insurance Court and the ZUS Pensioners’ Association. In 2005, commissioned by the Board of Communal Houses Warsaw-Śródmieście, the front and courtyard elevations, the crossing gate and the courtyard surface were renovated. During the work, some of the original architectural details were restored and the window and door carpentry was replaced with designs in line with the original.
Architecture and qualities of the monument
The design by Gustaw Trzciński combines features of classicist historicism with a simplified form characteristic of early modernism. The composition of the front elevation is based on the scheme of an ancient temple, with an axial arrangement of pilasters and a crowning tympanum serving as an attic. The attention is drawn to the large glazings – shop windows and multi-quarter windows of the flats – and the gate passage without bays. The high architectural quality is emphasised by the inscription with the designer’s name on the façade. The consistency of the style is evident both in the details of the courtyard and in the interiors of the building. The preserved metalwork, including the entrance gate, balustrades or flag holders, is a valuable design element.
The preserved historical spatial layout, representative staircases and original internal details further enhance the value of the building. The building’s entry in the register of historical monuments confirms its significance for the architectural heritage of Warsaw and the protection of the city’s interwar legacy.
Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer
Photos: WUOZ
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