Preparations have begun in Warsaw for the thorough renovation of the Elizeum, one of the capital’s most interesting yet least known monuments. The underground building from the late 18th century, located in Rydz-Śmigły Park, was officially handed over to the contractor on 4 July 2025. The conservation work is intended to restore the building to its former character and protect it from further degradation.
The Elysium – the start of the works
Dehumidification is envisaged as a first step. This process must take place slowly and under strict control. To this end, electric fans will be used to bring dry air into the building through unblocked ventilation ducts. For about six months, teams of specialists, including representatives of the Capital City Development Authority, the Office of the Capital City Conservator of Monuments, the Greenery Board, designers, builders and brick conservators, will regularly monitor the course of the dehumidification. Too rapid removal of moisture could lead to irreversible damage to the brick structure. Only after the first phase has been completed is it planned to insulate with natural clay, which originally protected the underground structure from the weather.
Work will continue until 2028
The Stołeczny Zarząd Rozbudowy Miasta (Capital City Development Authority) is responsible for the project, working in collaboration with the Stołeczny Conservator of Monuments. The conservation project has been developed by FestGrupa, and Renewal Art Sp. z o.o. has been appointed as the works contractor. The cost of the entire project is PLN 4.9 million. The project has also received funding under the ‘Government Programme for the Reconstruction of Monuments’. The work is scheduled to be completed in mid-2028. Bats of the Natterer’s bat species have been wintering in the Elyzeum for years. The last survey conducted in January 2025 confirmed the presence of 23 individuals. Due to the start of construction work, the animals will not be able to remain in the historic rotunda. Therefore, a specially designed hibernaculum – a concrete chamber – will be built in the vicinity of the building to provide the bats with suitable conditions for wintering.
History of the Elysium
The Elyum is a brick underground rotunda with two storeys and a diameter of 7.5 metres. It was built between 1776-1778 on the initiative of Prince Kazimierz Poniatowski, brother of King Stanislaw August. The project was designed by Szymon Bogumił Zug. The building was part of a larger garden layout on the Vistula embankment and served as an exclusive social salon. Its interior was once decorated with frescoes, sculptures, columns and decorative stuccowork. According to legends, the prince used the building for private meetings. After his death in 1800, the Elizeum gradually deteriorated. Over the decades, the lack of proper care and overgrowth by vegetation led to an almost complete degradation of the clay insulation, which in turn accelerated the destruction of the interior decoration. Initially, there were three entrances to the Elyzeum: through the now defunct grotto, from the level of the pond and through an inner corridor leading to the Imam’s House, where meals were prepared for receptions. In 2021, work was completed to make the upper entrance accessible, improving the ventilation of the interior.
The current restoration work is intended to restore the monument to its original form and to create the conditions to make it safely accessible to visitors in the future.
Source: Warsaw City Hall
Read also: Warsaw | Monument | History | Architecture in Poland | Renovation
