The building of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw is a late-classical structure located in the Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw at 4 Ujazdowskie Avenue. Erected in the years 1820-1824, the edifice has undergone many changes and destruction in its history to obtain its final appearance after World War II.
The decision to build the observatory was taken by the Government Commission on 8 September 1819. Construction plans were consulted with prominent astronomers Jan Śniadecki and Franciszek Armiński, who became the first director of the observatory. Construction work began in April/May 1820 under the direction of Michał Kado, Hilary Szpilowski and Piotr Aigner, most probably on the initiative of Stanisław Kostka Potocki. At the end of 1821, construction was interrupted due to organisational problems, but resumed in June 1822 under the direction of Szpilowski. The design of the building was modified, which involved, among other things, knocking down walls and adding new pavilions under the observation domes. Construction was finally completed on 25 November 1824.
1837 Photo: Mazovian Digital Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the mid-19th century, Warsaw’s first electric clock and Foucault’s pendulum were installed in the building. One of the domes was used as a reference point for the triangulation network of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland. In 1870-1871, the building underwent major reconstruction under the direction of Bolesław Podczaszyński, changing, among other things, the South Hall and the West Dome. In the 1880s, the wooden floor of the meridian hall was replaced with a brick ceiling on steel beams and the eastern dome was replaced with a larger one imported from the Vilnius Observatory.
A further renovation was carried out between 1925 and 1928, which included converting part of the attic into laboratories. The building was not seriously damaged during the 1939 September campaign, but was severely damaged by German troops during the Warsaw Uprising. In 1944, the Germans set fire to the building, which led to the destruction of the interior, furnishings, instruments and the valuable library. After the war, the building was secured by the Bureau for the Reconstruction of the Capital, and in 1947-1949 it was rebuilt according to a design by architect Jan Dąbrowski. The original external appearance of the 1824 building was then restored, but the interiors were significantly transformed. Astronomers returned to the building in 1950, and in 1959 a ceiling was added at the height of the windows of the large lecture theatre, providing additional space.
The Astronomical Observatory in the 1940s, after war damage and today. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ and Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons
The building is oriented with respect to the existing botanical garden greenhouse, rather than the sides of the world, which negatively affected observations. It has the form of an elongated rectangle divided into five parts. The extreme parts only extend to the first floor and end in terraces. The facades of the building have a palace-like character. The lower storeys are decorated with Ionic pilasters and rustication, while the upper storeys are decorated with Corinthian pilasters and a plain plane. At the level of the second floor there are four open terraces and the entrance to the building is in the form of a portico with Ionic columns.
The building in 1925 and today. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The interior of the building is not open to the public. Inside, there is, among other things, a large lecture hall and former observation pavilions that now serve a decorative function. The building also houses numerous laboratories and workshops. The observatory was entered in the register of monuments in 1948, and later in the provincial register of monuments and the municipal register of monuments. The building, together with the outbuildings, is protected as part of the UW Botanical Garden.
The building of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw is an important monument of late-classical architecture. Its turbulent history and multiple reconstructions reflect the dynamic history of Warsaw. Today, although the observatory domes serve only a decorative function, the building still plays an important scientific and cultural role.
Source: astrouw.edu.pl, uw.edu.pl
Read also: Architecture | Monument | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland
