Warsaw Post-War Reconstruction to Present

[intervention]

You're absolutely right - backlotting will be the biggest issue for most suburbs to retrofit, though its more of a tangible thing to undertake than say "fusing" road networks because honestly there are way too many stakeholders that would be upset. Often, our hands are too tied up by past decisions to actually move towards doing the "obvious" right thing that most people think we should be doing.

[Chadoh25]

Originally Posted by Urbanista1

What did German village and these areas look like, although a bit of a detour here, wouldn't mind seeing it. We were lucky in Toronto on that score, although are new right wing mayor wants to bring back the idea of a Spadina expressway although buried underground, god what a dumb red neck!! It would cost more money than a subway, carry more people and create more pollution, sounds perfect since it will keep Alberta's tar sands booming

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Mayor Ford either! Here is what German village looks like today.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...944222&page=10

[Urbanista1]

wow, what a treasure of history and architecture it is, must be really charming in summer with all the trees. How much of this was lost again?

thanks for sharing.

[Urbanista1]

National Stadium

Post war



Today

[Chadoh25]

Originally Posted by Urbanista1

wow, what a treasure of history and architecture it is, must be really charming in summer with all the trees. How much of this was lost again?

thanks for sharing.

I know this looks bad, but basically almost everything within the black line was leveled in the 50s and 60s as a result of Urban Renewal and the freeway. Also, just like with Zlota, Mound Street was cut in two by a parking lot and crappy 70s era apartment building. And yeah, German Village is very nice. I prefer it in the fall when the leaves are changing and in the winter under a blanket of snow! Its looks like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting then! BTW, Cleveland has a very big Polish Community. There is even a Slavic Village and every year they have a Parade there on May 1st. Although this year there will be two. One in the village and the other in the suburb of Parma. Maybe the next time I'm in Cleveland, I'll get some photos and post them in the Polish forum



BTW, great updates.

[Urbanista1]

What makes me sad about the loss of historic areas in Warsaw or Columbus or anywhere is the loss of character, that patina of time left on historic areas and the human warmth it exudes which make places of this type special everywhere.

[Chadoh25]

Originally Posted by Urbanista1

What makes me sad about the loss of historic areas in Warsaw or Columbus or anywhere is the loss of character, that patina of time left on historic areas and the human warmth it exudes which make places of this type special everywhere.

I completely agree. That's why I live in Downtown along East Town Street. If I lived in Warsaw, I would want to live in the old town or in one of the 19th century apartment buildings. I dislike commie blocks almost as much as I dislike suburban homes at the end of cul de sacs.

[mauro_lp]

This thread is the best in SSC, I am a lover of World War II and what is recovering Warsaw is something incredible, congratulations to the Poles to look forward remembering the past but always trying to grow back, leaving the horror
congratulations and greetings from Buenos Aires

[Iluminat]

Propaganda movie from 1952, quite a lot of rebuild Warsaw visible- especially in part 1 and 5.

[Urbanista1]

mauro lp, thank you so much for your compliment, it means a lot to me and it shows that you understand what motivates me. Mankind when he works together can accomplish so much good and beat the forces of darkness every time. I owe a lot of credit to some amazing photographers who's photos I borrowed along with mine, people like Polex, Sławek and others.

Thanks Illuminat for the videos, they are absolutely amazing, I always try to imagine what it must be like to live in a city that has gone through a cataclysm like Warsaw, Hiroshima, Kobe or Dresden etc (sorry if I missed some big ones) and what it does to people. when I look at those people, they seem happy I believe because they have a purpose, a mission even thoigh life was so hard -m anyway it could just be propaganda . I think Europeans need to renew their sense of purpose and work together for a big project like the rebuilding of Warsaw was, wouldn't that be amazing

For anyone who has seen the movie The Pianist which is about Wladyslaw Szpilman and his experiences in Warsaw during the war, you should note that he is one of the people involved in the production of the videos Illuminat provided.

[mauro_lp]

Urbanista1thanks to you and helping to feed this thread and we can see from far away as the city is still rebuilding

[Chadoh25]

I second that. Urbanista1, you've done a super job with this thread. I love the photos and videos. I also greatly appreciate that fact that you've kept this thread on message and have not resorted to dwelling on the destroction of the city, but instead focused on it's fantastic rebirth! Well done my friend!

[Urbanista1]

Thanks very much Chadoh25! I have deep and solemn respect for those who suffered and lost so much in this great city, but reconciliation and rebirth is something we can all share and help build. I appreciate the restraint shown by others and I feel that the best closure on that tragic past is a great future.

And on that note my friends

Saski and Bruhl Palaces on Pilsudski Square

Pre-war Saski





Bruhl



During





Today



Archeological dig in preparation for reconstruction which was postponed due to a change in the City's financial priorities and the need to incorporate the ruins uncovered into a new design



Future Plans - A decision has been made by the City of Warsaw to house the city's municipal offices in the rebuilt Saski and Bruhl Palaces, however, realization will not start until 2012 or thereafter depending on financial resources

image hosted on flickr




Other Palaces in the Vicinity of Pilsudski Square

Kronenberg Palace

Before the War



After



Today

[Somalian]

Its very nice, Somali

[DocentX]

It looks like from 70's not today :



Today:

[Urbanista1]

Thanks DocentX, that was the only picture I could find unfortunately. I should note that in the picture above we can see the Metropolitan building by Norman Foster in the upper right hand corner.

[Urbanista1]

One of my favourite recent restorations is the restoration of the baroque St. Martin's (and the adjoining Augustinian Monastery) church in the Old Town and the return of the sculptures in the niches of the churches facade using computer animation. The restored figures of very durable roman cement include Saint Augustine of Novella and Saint Stanislaw at the bottom. The church was rebuilt during 1945-1955 and was rebuilt in the style it was remodeled to in 1744 by Karol Bay, a kind of /BaroqueRoccoco "Melted Sugar" style. The interior furnishings are all modern, none of the unique baroque furnishings of Jan Henel survived the war.

For any hard-core Varsavianistas, in the church's basements is Adam Jarzebski is buried, who was the author of the first Warsaw guidebook and court constructor and musician of the king Wladyslaw IV. I'm not sure if access to the basements is permitted.

The restoration was done by then student of ASP (Akademia Sztuk Pieknych) Klaudiusz Wesołowski and Brawo to him!





Before the War





1990's



During Restoration - Note the brick portion, which is an original surviving fragment of the Gothic 14th century belfry of St. Martin





Now

















The interior - today's furnishings were designed by sister Alma Skrzydlewska and are a mosaic of modern décor and combined with surviving historical elements.



To left in the chapel of St. Francis is the most valuable element of the church's furnishing - a 14th Century polychromed figure of the Virgin Mary with the Child.

[Urbanista1]

Before





After

[Urbanista1]

Wartime destruction made Warsaw much greener for lack of funds to rebuild important buildings but also because modern planning principles looked at this destruction as an opportunity to bring more light and spaciousness to Warsaw's very cramped pre-war conditions, to widen roads and build other modern infrastructure. In the west outside the Iron Curtain, this was called urban renewal, but in Warsaw the scale was massive.

Before



After



Warsaw urban pattern of development

Before - much denser and finer grain



After



Today - densities a little lower but offset by taller buildings, grainer much courser with much less cohesive built form in the outskirts and even in more traditionally rebuilt areas, there gaps in the street face Poles call plomby



Before



After



Today

[intervention]

Are the excavations around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier still open? Or have they been covered up?