The construction of the school was interrupted by the war effort. Bolesław Prus High School is located at Zwycięzców 7/9 in Warsaw. It is a modernist building with brick ornamentation in the façade. The edifice is an example of design from a to zet, the architects have paid attention to every detail here.
The school itself was established as early as 1 September 1922 and was renamed the Bolesław Prus Private Gymnasium and Secondary School in 1935. The name of the patron was not just left in the name. The school’s students learnt more about the works of Bolesław Prus, and at the matriculation examination they had to answer one question related to the author’s works. At that time, the school still operated in the building at 49 Żurawia Street, and from 1925 in the building at 10 Jasna Street.
The building you can see in the photographs was constructed after the Second World War. It was designed by architects Hieronim and Barbara Karpowicz. The building was put into use in 1951, and the official naming of the building after Bolesław Prus took place in 1960.
To this day, the building has survived almost unchanged. Almost, because the windows have been replaced, which are now made of plastic and deviate from the aesthetics of the original concept. What is impressive, however, is the brick façade, which has been given a decorative makeover in many places. Some of the bricks extend out from the building line to create a geometric composition. The protrusion of the bricks causes a shadow to fall on the façade, which can change from hour to hour on sunny days.
The entrance portal, which is decorated with grey panels with decorative circles, is also attractive. The door itself is heavily glazed.
An interesting feature of the façade is the bas-relief Mermaid by Wojciech Czerwosz, which adorns the building on the side of Katowicka Street. The soiled work was cleaned and restored nearly ten years ago. Today it is once again white.
photos: Kamil Białas
source: Service of the Republic of Poland gov.pl, www.prus.edu.pl
Read also: Education | Warsaw | Monument | Modernism | Facade | Interesting facts
