The renovation of the northern elevation of the tenement house at Francuska 38 in Saska Kępa has been completed. The building is regarded as one of the most interesting examples of the so-called Style 37, which in the last years of the Second Republic of Poland combined functionalism with decorative elements. The renovation of the façade was made possible thanks to financial support from the city.
Style 37 was distinguished by the undulating lines of the facades and the characteristic steel wrought iron grilles in the windows. The building at 38 Francuska Street additionally has a façade lined with sandstone panels, which adds to its unique elegance and charm.
The housing association carries out the renovation work in stages, as a full renovation of all the façades at once exceeds its financial possibilities. The front façade was renovated last year, while work was carried out on the north façade in 2025. It features an entrance finished in sandstone and a staircase with a distinctive window in the form of a vertical strip, often referred to as a ‘thermometer’.
The cladding of hewn sandstone is one of the most important architectural elements of this building. Over the decades, the stone has become stained and covered with a layer of black patina. During the restoration, it was cleaned using the blasting method and further protected. During the work, bullet marks were also discovered, which are a reminder of the war times. In the past, they had been filled with cement, which caused dark stains on the surface. Some of these were neutralised in colour, but selected marks were left as a testimony to history.
The tenement was designed by Jerzy Woyzbun, a pupil of Bohdan Pniewski. It was completed in 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Inspirations of Pniewski’s work are particularly evident in the use of sandstone, which is reminiscent of the architect’s house at 27 Na Skarpie Avenue. The finishing works of the building were already carried out under occupation, which is why each façade received a different type of plaster.
38 Francuska Street before and after renovation. Photo: Capital Conservator of Monuments
On the street side of the building, a tumbled plaster with divisions imitating stone cladding was used, while the side elevations were finished with a textured plaster with mica. Although it was badly damaged in places, the conservators decided to keep the original render and only touch up the defects. It proved difficult to achieve an exact colour match between the old and new fragments, but the priority was to protect the original substance.
The cost of the renovation of the north façade, which was partly financed by a municipal subsidy, amounted to PLN 49,673.
Source: Warsaw City Hall
Read also: Architecture | Tenement | Renovation | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
