Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer Marcin Dawidowicz has decided to enter the wooden house at 35 Cegłowska Street in Warsaw’s Bielany district into the register of historic buildings. The building was constructed in 1932 according to a design by architect Jan Zabłocki as part of the ‘Cheap Own Home’ exhibition.
In justifying the decision, the conservator emphasised that the house represents a modern interpretation of traditional architecture. Although its form was quite conservative, it stood out for its functional interior layout and well-planned space. Of the entire series of buildings prepared for the exhibition, only this one has survived to this day. The others have been sold, demolished or replaced by cooperative developments and post-war single-family houses. The house on Cegłowska Street is therefore a unique testimony to that initiative, linked to the activities of the social activist Todor Toeplitz and the Warsaw cooperative movement. It also documents the patronage of the General Directorate of State Forests over the project and the design achievements of Jan Zablocki. In addition, it retains traces of warfare, including damage to the roof trusses from the Second World War.
The “Cheap Own House” exhibition was held from 17 September to 17 October 1932. It was organised on the initiative of the Polish Housing Reform Association, the Association of Polish Cities and Todor Toeplitz, one of the main promoters of the idea of construction accessible to middle-income residents. Its aim was to popularise affordable single-family houses that could be purchased thanks to favourable loans.
Twenty-six plots were prepared on a dedicated area, on which 21 demonstration houses were built. These were both year-round and holiday homes. The designs were prepared by renowned architects, including Romuald Miller, Romuald Gutt, Lucjan Korngold, Józef Szanajca and Bohdan Lachert. The houses varied in style, but were all designed as single-family, one- or two-storey houses, equipped with water and electricity. Home gardens were also an important element. The buildings were constructed using inexpensive materials, primarily wood, and prefabricated solutions to reduce construction costs.
Today, the only surviving example of this initiative remains the house at 35 Cegłowska Street, which has just been placed under conservation protection.
Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer
Read also: Monument | Single-family house | Wood | History | whiteMAD on Instagram
