An ornamental balustrade from Powązkowska Street in Warsaw, dating from a former viaduct over the ring railway line, has undergone comprehensive conservation and has been reinstalled in the road lane. The work was aimed at restoring its historic appearance and repairing damage caused by a road collision that occurred in 2023.
Damage and decision to repair
The damage to the balustrade occurred as a result of a heavy vehicle impact that destroyed one of the spans on the pedestrian crossing side. As a result of the incident, the metal elements were deformed and the concrete posts were partially chipped at the fixing points. Visual inspection also revealed the presence of corrosion, paint damage, cracking and damage to the decorative elements. Initially, a limited scope of work was planned, but the technical condition of the remaining spans prompted the Warsaw authorities to carry out a full renovation of the entire structure. The balustrade was dismantled and transported to a conservation workshop.
Powązkowska Street balustrade – history
The monument was originally part of a 1920s road viaduct running over the tracks of the ring railway line. The structure was blown up during World War II, and all that remains of the former structure today is a fragment of the decorative balustrade. In 2009, during the construction of the new viaduct structure, the eight steel and cast iron spans were dismantled. It was decided at the time to preserve them and move them to a different location near the original site. Eventually, they were placed on the island separating the lanes of Powązkowska Street at the junction with Duchnicka Street. Even before the first installation, the balustrade underwent the necessary restoration work, including removal of corrosion and reconstruction of missing elements. Some of the spans were reconstructed in their original shape and the ends were made to resemble the missing fragments. The whole was supported on new reinforced concrete posts, made according to the historical pattern.
Scope of work carried out
The final stage of conservation covered the entire balustrade. The spans were cleaned, secondary paint layers and corrosion were removed. The surface was protected, damaged elements were restored, and the whole was painted in the original, historical colour. The previous colours were not compatible with the original. All the concrete posts were also reconstructed, following the pattern of the archival material. The conservation work, as well as the supervision of the task, was carried out by specialists from the office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments.
Source: Capital City Monument Conservator‘ sOffice
Read also: Renovation | Monument | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
