The commercial pavilion at 10 Balladyny Street in Lublin does not impress. For years passers-by have been passing broken windows and walls disfigured by vandals, often not realising what valuable architecture they are looking at. The building is part of the Juliusz Słowacki estate, designed in the 1960s by Zofia and Oskar Hansen. There is a chance to save this unusual building, as an idea has been floated to create a cultural centre there
The shopping pavilion at 10 Balladyny Street was built in 1969. It served the residents of the estate for many years until 2017, when it was taken out of use. Deprived of care, the building soon found itself in a deplorable state. Years ago, it housed a grocery shop and a pharmacy. The building has an area of almost 385 m2 and is listed as a historical monument. Now the idea has emerged that the Lublin authorities should renovate it and use it for public and social functions that meet the needs of local residents
The pavilion at present. Photo: Google Maps
One of the councillors, Monika Kwiatkowska, proposes creating a cultural centre there, which in her view would contribute “to the intellectual development of children and young people” and provide “opportunities for leisure and recreation” for the elderly. She points out that the pavilion could also house the Museum of Housing Estates, which is currently housed in a small premises on Wileńska Street. In response to the councillor’s interpellation, the deputy mayor of Lublin stated that the location of the building in the vicinity of a multi-family housing development and a kindergarten, as well as its area of 384.95 m2 , would perfectly meet the needs necessary for cultural activities. However, the cost of its renovation should be estimated beforehand. The representative of the authorities took the opportunity to point out that the pavilion is part of the unique urban design of the Juliusz Słowacki estate and is full of unusual architectural and construction details
The pavilion today. Photo: Google Maps
Experts claim that the fanciful shape of the pavilion’s roof was inspired by a ‘parabolic hyperbole’. On the other hand, there is a lot of glazing on the walls, not only in the form of large display windows, but also glass present in the upper parts of the façade. Also notable is the minimal number of structural columns, so that the pavilion also has corner windows. Photographs of the pavilion from Balladyna 10 even appeared in Berlin and Paris at exhibitions devoted to architecture. This has attracted enthusiasts of this type of building from all corners of the world to the capital of the Lublin Voivodeship
The city has no plans to sell the building, but is considering various options for its development. Further decisions will be taken after the completion of technical expertise, a detailed inventory and design work, which will allow to estimate the cost of future works and renovation of the building
Source: tvn24.pl
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