At the junction of Królewska and Marszałkowska Streets in Warsaw, a small building has been falling into disrepair for many years; most passers-by mistake it for a worthless ruin. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, it is a former public toilet dating from the interwar period – one of the last surviving elements of the historic infrastructure in the Saxon Garden. Despite the documentation being in place and repeated announcements of renovation, the building still stands as an eyesore – a disgraceful symbol of the garden, which is listed in its entirety on the register of historic monuments.
The public toilet in the Saxon Garden – interwar origins
The building was most likely constructed in the 1920s or 1930s, when the prestigious Saxon Garden was being fitted out with modern facilities for visitors. No documents have survived to establish the exact date of construction or the architect responsible, but it is known that for many years the building served as a public toilet. It was used by walkers, participants in ceremonies held in Saski Square – later Piłsudski Square – and visitors to the park. After the Second World War, the small building continued to serve as a public toilet despite the extensive damage suffered by the Saxon Garden and its surroundings. Over the years, however, it was taken out of use.
The mystery of the ‘KAWIARENKA’ inscription
An intriguing trace of the building’s history is the fragment of the red inscription ‘KAWIARENKA’, still visible today on the parapet. For a long time, it was thought that a café had never actually opened there, but Marek Piwowarski, the former director of the Parks and Gardens Authority, has shed new light on this story. He confirmed that, after the building ceased to serve as a public toilet, a café operated there for a time. All the evidence suggests that the former municipal public toilet served, in the 1980s or 1990s, as a small seasonal outlet run by a municipal catering company or a tenant. All that remains from this period is a fragment of an inscription, as archival sources provide no details of the premises’ operations.
Increasingly costly renovation and further obstacles
At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the building was finally closed, and its interiors and façades quickly fell victim to vandals. The plumbing and electrical systems, windows and doors were destroyed; the walls were covered in graffiti; and the building’s condition continued to deteriorate. Eventually, access to the building was secured, though this did not halt the ongoing external deterioration. The first concrete plans to renovate the interwar building emerged in 2014, whilst two years later Warsaw began preparations for the project. Initially, the costs were estimated at around 300,000 zlotys, but detailed expert reports revealed serious damage to the water supply, sewerage and electrical systems. As architect Aleksandra Wasilkowska explained at the time, the number of approvals and documents required turned out to be comparable to projects on a much larger scale. As a result, the cost estimate rose successively to 500,000, 700,000 and then to around one million zlotys.
The gazebo in the Saxon Garden is still waiting for its turn
Problems also mounted during the search for a contractor. In 2019, four tenders ended in failure – on three occasions no bids were received, and the sole proposal significantly exceeded the funds allocated by the city. A year later, the funds were redirected towards the construction of automated public toilets, and the renovation of the public toilet in Saski Garden was put on the back burner. Preparations for the reconstruction of the Saxon Palace also hampered the project. Archaeological work and other activities taking place in the immediate vicinity meant that the renovation was postponed until details regarding the reconstruction at Piłsudski Square were known. As a result, despite a completed design and a building permit having been obtained, work never began. Today, the abandoned building is owned by the city and, just a few dozen metres from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it still awaits the moment when it will regain its former appearance and functionality.
Source: tvn24.pl, zzw.waw.pl
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