Tenement houses on Freta and Koźle streets in Warsaw with new facades

Work has been completed to make the side elevations of the townhouses on Freta and Koźle streets in Warsaw look like new. The front elevations were renovated several years ago.

The gable elevations of two tenement houses have been renovated. They are located at Freta 29/31 and Koźlej 2/4. The tenement houses were rebuilt after damage caused by actions during World War II. Their aesthetics are reminiscent of the style of 17th-century Warsaw buildings. The first of the buildings on Freta Street, before the war was called “Under the Eye of Providence”, this slogan refers to the decorations located in the head of the balcony window at the level of the first floor. Unfortunately, this detail was not restored during the reconstruction after World War II. Its place was taken by a small rosette.

The front elevation of the building was renovated a few years ago. It was given a light pink colouring and decorated with white details. The side wall was renovated in the same colour scheme.

In the case of the building on Koźle Street, the side wall with its blind window reveals on the first and second floors was renovated. In its new appearance, it has a pale yellow colour, with darker details in some places.

Back in 2023, the facades were still dirty and badly damaged. They required urgent repair. The process of degradation was compounded by technological errors that had been made during the hasty reconstruction. The contractor had to remove the remains of soggy plaster and repair and reinforce the walls.

Under the influence of moisture, structure-damaging salinisation and black, tar-like impurities appeared on the stone. Some of the sandstone slabs were so damaged that they had to be replaced with new ones, reads the city’s announcement.

Both buildings received new insulation for the foundations and flashing elements that were ineffective in retaining rainwater.

source: UM Warszawa

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