During the communist era, housing construction was intensively developed with large-scale investments to solve the housing shortage. In the 1970s, this wave saw the construction of a complex of modern buildings in the centre of Łódź, which at the time inspired admiration throughout the country. The Downtown Residential District (Śródmiejska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa, abbreviated as ŚDM), better known as ‘Manhattan’, became a symbol of the city’s development and modern construction of the communist era. It was one of the largest residential complexes in Poland, distinguished not only by the height of the buildings, but also by innovative structural solutions.
Genesis and design of the Łódź Manhattan
The project of the housing estate was born in 1969 as a result of an architectural competition won by a team of architects: Mieczysław Sowa, Krzysztof Wiśniowski, Andrzej Bohdanowicz, Ryszard Daczkowski and L. Paperz. Ultimately, however, the realisation was entrusted to Aleksander Zwierka and his team from Miastoprojekt Łódź.
Manhattan in Łódź – construction and architecture
The Manhattan buildings were constructed between 1975 and 1982 and were some of the tallest residential buildings in Poland. Their height ranges from 46 to 78 metres. In contrast to the prevalent large-panel technology of the communist era, here a skeleton post-and-beam structure was used. The external walls are made of reinforced concrete façade panels covered with asbestos-cement cladding, which was removed in the 1990s. A characteristic architectural element of Manhattan are the technical pavilions on the top floors, which protrude beyond the façades. Some of the buildings also provide space for commercial premises, including artists’ studios.
Emptywords, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Urban significance of the settlement
Manhattan was built on the site of former outbuildings and farm buildings at Piotrkowska, Wigury, Sienkiewicz and the present Piłsudski Avenue. The modern development changed the spatial layout of the city, marking the new centre of Łódź with the W-Z route. It was also a turning point in the development of multi-family housing in Łódź.
Manhattan in Łódź – a complex of buildings
The estate consists of eight residential buildings with different heights and segment arrangements. The tallest of them, at 7 Piłsudskiego Avenue and 182 Piotrkowska Street, rise to 78 metres and have 23 and 24 residential and two technical storeys respectively. The building at 101/109 Sienkiewicza Street is 60 metres high and consists of four segments with different numbers of floors (17, 15, 13 and 13). Another, at 204/210 Piotrkowska Street, is 58 metres high and comprises six segments of 18 to 12 storeys. Slightly lower buildings are located at 15 Wigury Street and 235/241, 247 and 257A Piotrkowska Street, each 46 metres high and comprising three segments of 14 storeys each. The development also has a multi-storey car park for 475 vehicles, spread over three underground levels, one above ground and five above ground.
Manhattan in Łódź as a symbol of the era
Manhattan became one of the most important symbols of Łódź in the 1970s and 1980s, and at the same time an architectural sign of the People’s Republic of Poland. In those years, the new flats on the estate were considered comfortable and prestigious, despite many shortcomings and questionable quality of materials. The construction of the complex significantly influenced the development of the capital of the Łódź Voivodeship and its urban space. Today, the Łódź Manhattan still remains an important point on the map of the city, reminding us of the architectural and urban planning ambitions of the Polish People’s Republic and of the times when Łódź briefly became a precursor of modern development in Poland.
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