After the Second World War, Warsaw was largely a sea of ruins and burnt-out walls. However, this catastrophic landscape presented an opportunity for urban planners and architects, who saw it as an opportunity to realise their grand designs. The capital became a field of architectural experimentation, in which attempts were made to combine the monumental style of socialist realism with references to native traditions. One of the most interesting examples of this tendency is the so-called “Wawelowiec” – a building erected in Mariensztat in the 1950s. Its unique form inspired by the Renaissance, and in particular by the Wawel cloisters, earned it a distinctive name and made it one of the most recognisable buildings in this part of the city.
History of the reconstruction of Mariensztat and the architectural concept
Before the Second World War, the area of today’s Bednarska Street and Mariensztat was densely built up with tenement houses. During the Warsaw Uprising, much of the area was destroyed, and after the war it was decided to carry out a thorough reconstruction. As part of the construction of the Mariensztat estate, which was intended to refer to traditional Polish small-town buildings, the architects allowed themselves a certain experiment. This is how the idea of creating a “Wawel building” was born – a building with a unique body and stylistics inspired by the Renaissance. The design was created in the Miastoprojekt-Stolica office, and prominent architects Jankowski, Knothe, Sigalin, Stępiński and Załęski took part in its development. Erected as a three-storey galleried building, it received characteristic arcades and galleries modelled on the courtyard of Wawel Castle. The ornate, slender columns carrying the roof over the galleries give it a monumental, yet harmonious appearance.
“Wawel Castle” – function and significance of the building
“Waweliowiec” had both a residential and a social function from the beginning. In addition to residential units, the ground floor of the building housed the “Pod Retmanem” People’s Inn, which referred by name to the former rafting inn. The interior of the restaurant was decorated with a coffered ceiling and wooden panelling, and modern kitchen equipment made it possible to serve larger groups of guests. The building was set back from Bednarska Street, which made it possible to create a small square – Przyrynek Mariensztacka. This intimate square was intended to emphasise the urban harmony of the estate. Initially a green space was planned here, but over time the square was transformed into a car park.
Heritage and modernity
Today, the condition of the building requires urgent intervention, as while the peeling paint on the facades is not a major problem, apart from visually, the characteristic cloisters have lost their stability and needed additional support. The loss of plaster inside the gallery is also visible. Despite this, the ‘Waweliowiec’ remains one of the most interesting examples of Warsaw’s socialist realist architecture. Its unusual form and references to the Polish Renaissance make it a unique element of the surrounding landscape. Listed in the register of historical monuments, the building is a testimony to the era of rebuilding the city and attempts to combine tradition with new realities. Let us hope that this unique architecture will soon see proper restoration.
Source: iwaw.pl, culture.pl
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