The residential building at 63 Wspólna Street in Warsaw has been added to the register of listed buildings, thereby expanding the list of protected designs by Marek Leykam. The building was constructed in the 1950s as part of a complex designed for the Headquarters of the Office for Industrial Construction Studies and Designs. The decision to place the building under protection was taken by Marcin Dawidowicz, the Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments.
A residential project in Marek Leykam’s portfolio
The house at 63 Wspólna Street was built as part of the post-war reconstruction of Warsaw’s Śródmieście district, on the site of destroyed tenement houses. It was part of the larger complex of the Central Office for Industrial Construction Studies and Designs, which was entered in the register of monuments on 8 January 2026. For Marek Leykam, an architect known primarily for his designs of public buildings, this was a unique project. The residential building complemented the complex’s function by providing accommodation for the institution’s staff.
Wspólna 63: the search for a new architectural language
The design was created during a period of intense urban transformation in the capital. Leykam adapted the scale of the building to the street’s historic development, whilst moving away from the typical patterns of pre-war tenement houses. He also rejected the Socialist Realism style that was dominant at the time. The structure utilised reinforced concrete, which was modern for its time, and external galleries appeared on the façade. Leykam designed a building that respected the existing urban context whilst seeking new forms for the architecture of a rebuilding Warsaw.
The play of light, the rhythm of the façade and the details
The form of the building is highly unusual within the overall concept. The compact structure owes its distinctive character to the wide staircase, the set-back from the building line, and the tall ground-floor windows. On the upper floors, the aforementioned galleries appeared, their openwork balustrades contrasting with the smooth sections of the walls. In the original design, part of the façade was to be covered with plaster featuring large rectangular panels. The combination of solid and open surfaces created a chiaroscuro effect, lending the façade a sense of dynamism. A similar feature can be seen from the courtyard side, where large, unpartitioned windows ensured maximum light penetration into the flats.
Wspólna 63 and its hidden value
The building’s great value is also determined by its finishing details. Inside, the ceramic flooring has been preserved, enhanced with fragments of terrazzo, distinguished by a modern, almost graphic pattern. Also worthy of note are the simple, original staircase balustrade, the stepped bands around the windows, and the prefabricated concrete balusters. According to conservator Marcin Dawidowicz, it is precisely this combination of historical value and high-quality architecture that makes the house at 63 Wspólna Street an important testament to the post-war reconstruction of Warsaw and the creative explorations of Marek Leykam, who lived from 1908 to 1983.
Source:Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments
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