During renovation work in a historic tenement house at 41 Hoża Street in Warsaw, traces of former craft and commercial activities were found. Under the layers of plaster, pre-war inscriptions from the beginning of the 20th century in both Polish and Cyrillic were uncovered. They were identified as remnants of signs informing about a lathe workshop and shops selling shoes and stationery. The conservator decided to preserve and display them.
History and architecture of Hoża 41
The tenement house at 41 Hoża Street was built in the years 1912-1913 according to a design by Władysław Czerwiński and Wacław Heppen. It is a six-storey corner building with a richly decorated façade. The front elevations are distinguished by Art Nouveau ornaments, floral motifs and rounded bay windows. The interior retains many original features, including the marble staircase, ceramic floors and wrought iron balustrade of the main staircase.
Scope of renovation works at Hoża 41
The current renovation mainly covers the façade on the side of Poznanska Street and the main staircase. The works are being carried out with the financial support of the City of Warsaw. As part of the first stage, wall surfaces and architectural details will be renovated, and conservation of the staircase furnishings will be carried out. During preparations, it was found that the balcony slabs are in a very poor technical condition and their repair will probably be postponed until next year.
Pre-war inscriptions and their protection
The last comprehensive renovation of the building took place in the 1990s. At that time, most of the old plaster was removed and replaced with new plaster. After 25 years, the facades again required intervention due to numerous cracks and spalling. The aim of the current work is to restore the building’s original appearance and colours and to protect its cast details. Exposed inscriptions will also be restored. This is truly unique in the capital. Other memorials of this type can be found, among others, in the courtyard of the tenement house at 16 Widok Street (we wrote about it HERE) and on the side wall at 9/11 Hoża Street.
Conservation of the tenement house interior
The main staircase will also undergo extensive conservation work. It is planned to clean and replenish the marble staircase, renew the balustrade and stucco, and conserve the ceramic tiles. The walls are to be painted in a light ochre colour, the original use of which has been confirmed by stratigraphic research.
Grants for the renovation of the townhouse
To carry out the work, the City of Warsaw awarded a grant of PLN 232,340 for the renovation of the façade, which is about 30 per cent of the cost, and PLN 208,061 for the renovation of the staircase, which is about 50 per cent of the total expenditure.
Source: UM Warszawa
Read also: Renovation | Tenement | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
