Kamienica Klucznikowska
Fot. Biuro Stołecznego Konserwatora Zabytków

Warsaw: renovation of the façade of the Klucznikowska tenement house in the Old Town Square

The conservation work on one of Warsaw’s historical monuments, the Klucznikowska tenement house at 21a Old Town Square, has come to an end. Thanks to financial support of PLN 159,000 provided by the city, the façade of this historic building has regained its former glory. This is another renovation project in the Old Town that preserves the cultural heritage of Warsaw.

The Klucznikowska Tenement House, erected as a separate building, was joined with a neighbouring tenement in the 18th century to form a unified façade. At that time, the place made history as the home of Hugo Kołłątaj, who lived and died here in 1812. During the renovation in 1928, the original division of the façade into two parts was restored. It was then that a valuable 17th-century sandstone portal was discovered, which is one of the most important elements of the façade. Unfortunately, war damage left its mark – only the cellars and small parts of the façade survived. During the reconstruction, changes were made, including the removal of the balcony on the second floor and the insertion of windows in place of side doors.

The Klucznikowska tenement house in 2015. Photo credit: may/photopolska.eu

Kamienica Klucznikowska

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During the post-war reconstruction in 1953, a relief of a lion with a coat of arms shield was placed on the façade. It is a reference to the earlier decoration, which was on the façade before the division of the tenements in 1928. The upper floors of the building were decorated with sgraffito with geometric and figural motifs, with a central medallion depicting Hugo Kołłątaj. The authors of the design were Hanna and Jacek Żuławski, whose concept has stood the test of time. Conservation work on the sgraffito, carried out in the 1980s, concentrated on filling in defects and painting the decoration in colours close to the original.

The stone portal before and after conservation. Photo by ZeroJeden, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons and the Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments

During the recent renovation, it was decided to preserve the secondary layers of painting, which are now the only evidence of the original composition. In order to emphasise the technique of the workmanship, a fragment of the raw, non-polychrome left edge of the sgraffito was left, which shows the original method of creating the decoration. Special attention was given to the 17th-century sandstone portal, which required conservation work to restore its aesthetics and protect it from further degradation. The lion bas-relief, the window frames and the damaged building plinth were also cleaned. The sheet metal-clad entrance door, which is an integral part of the façade, was also restored.

Source: um.warszawa.pl

Read also: Architecture | Tenement | City | Warsaw | Architecture in Poland

The Klucznikowska Tenement House before and after the facade renovation. Photo: maj/fotopolska.eu and Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments

Lion and window before and after conservation. Photo: Office of the Capital Conservator of Monuments