At Smolna 23 in Warsaw, construction is underway on a new tenement building to begin the process of restoring the pre-war frontage destroyed in the Warsaw Uprising. The investment is being carried out by NDI Smolna, a company owned by NDI Development. Although the investment is only just taking shape, the project is already stirring up a lot of controversy, and some people are clearly critical of it.
Before 1939, Smolna Street was an elegant and prestigious urban space. It was home to important educational and editorial institutions and a hospital. The area’s period of splendour was brutally ended by the Second World War. As a result, the buildings on the street were severely damaged and parts of the southern frontage were not rebuilt after 1945. The empty area created after the removal of the rubble was transformed into a square, which existed there for decades to come, until recently.
The building in an urban context
The new building under construction is to be integrated into the street frontage, according to the developer. It will be built in the so-called sharp boundary of the plots, with the possibility of future adjoining neighbouring buildings. It will function as a free-standing building until the surrounding buildings are completed. On the Jerozolimskie Avenue side, it will be located in accordance with the mandatory building line, while on the Smolna Street side it will be limited by the impassable line determined by the local plan. The project refers to the historical character of the place through its varied dimensions corresponding to the metropolitan scale of Jerozolimskie Avenue and the intimate development of Smolna Street. The façade has been designed with the historical proportions of window openings and architectural detail in mind, while the opening of the ground floor to public space is intended to enliven this part of the city.
Smolna 23: architecture inspired by history
The main body of the building refers to the form of the former tenement house standing on this site. Its composition is based on historical proportions, the rhythm of vertical bay windows and geometrised detail. The whole is set on a minimalist, glazed ground floor that provides transparency and visual contact between Smolna Street and Jerozolimskie Avenue. The retracted top floors, also designed in a modern style, take a similar form. The facades will be made of high-quality materials. The predominant material will be concrete with an artificial stone texture, alluding in colour to the neighbouring sandstone and grey granite buildings. The side walls of the building will be decorated with vegetation until the neighbouring buildings are built.
Aesthetics and design philosophy
The project takes a contemporary approach to the idea of an urban townhouse. The aesthetics of the building are based on the juxtaposition of the historically inspired main body with the modern ground floor and finial. The architects’ primary aim was to create a visual dialogue with the old buildings. Although work is still underway and there is still a long way to go before the project is completed, many people are very sceptical and even critical of the project. The new property on this site is a major change that will definitely affect the perception of the area. Positively or negatively – time will tell.
Source: NDI Developmentpress materials
Read also: City | Architecture in Poland | History | Warsaw | Tenement house
Tenement house at Smolna 23 seen from Jerozolimskie Avenue, pre-war years and on visualisation. Source: National Archive in Warsaw and press materials
