Warsaw is a city with a rich and turbulent history, where, despite severe destruction in the 20th century, one can still admire plenty of examples of interesting architecture. One such building is Judy Wielburski’s tenement house, also known as the Potempski tenement house, located at 2 Marszałkowska Street, near Plac Unii Lubelskiej, at the junction with Aleja Jana Chrystiana Szucha. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and is one of the more interesting works of architecture in the area from that period.
The origins and architecture of the Judy Wielburski tenement house
Judy Wielburski’s tenement house was built in 1904, during the period of intensive development of Unii Lubelskiej Square. It was one of the first buildings in this part of the city, which makes it a particularly important urban element of Warsaw. Its design was adapted to the unusual shape of the plot, which resulted in an original spatial arrangement. The main façade of the building faces Marszałkowska Street, while the semi-open courtyard adjoins Szucha Avenue, which is an original architectural solution as the building does not have a traditional gate passage. Another characteristic element of the building is the tower with a rear staircase, topped with an ornamental helmet, which constitutes a dominant architectural accent from the side of Szucha Avenue. An interestingly designed main staircase leads to the interior of the building and to the courtyard, the entrance to which is from Marszałkowska Street. Originally, the building was distinguished by a white façade decorated with subtle neo-classical details, giving it an elegant and dignified appearance.
The tenement house in 1948. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/
2 Marszałkowska Street – fate of the building in the 20th century
The Potempski tenement was fortunate enough to avoid destruction during the Second World War. This was primarily due to its strategic location near the German quarter, which meant that it was not a target for bombing or warfare. After the war, the building underwent modernisation, which included the removal of most of the decorative details from the façade in the 1950s. Despite these changes, the original proportions of the massing were preserved, so that the building did not completely lose its original elegance. Inside the main staircase, many elements of the original decoration have survived to this day, attesting to the high quality of the building’s workmanship. Noteworthy among them are the marble facings of the staircase steps made of Carrara bianco ordinario stone, the wrought-iron balustrades of rich, fanciful design, the stuccoed ceilings and the wooden door frames. Also noteworthy are the original floors, the work of which was entrusted to the renowned Otto Kauffmann Niedersedlitz. Due to its historical and architectural value, on 24 July 2012 the building was entered in the municipal register of monuments of the capital city of Warsaw.
Source: lapidarium.fundacja-hereditas.pl
Read also: Architecture | Tenement house | Curiosities | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
The former Keksholm roundabout (now Lublin Union Square) in 1910 and 2025. Photo: Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The building in 1955 and 2025. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
View of the tenement in 1956 and 2025. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Facade from Szucha Avenue in the late 1960s and today. Source: Stolica weekly no 48 (1095) 01.12.1968 and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski