Warsaw Post-War Reconstruction to Present

[DocentX]

nice example of revitalization in Warsaw :

Originally Posted by Ramzeswarszawa

Remont elewacji kamienicy przy Kredytowej, parę zdjęć na szybko:



Duże zdjecia na blogu.

[Ulpia-Serdica]

This last building is looking really good

[rychlik]

Originally Posted by SoboleuS

It was in the middle of the square, now there's Mermaid statue on its place. BTW the idea of this reconstruction is completely unrealistic.

Exactly. Just like Sandomierz for example.

image hosted on flickr
Sandomierz, Town Hall by Pablo Mielko, on Flickr

But I don't think it would suit Warsaw's square. It would get too crowded.

[JohnnyMass]

It was a good looking building though. But I guess it would not make any sense rebuilding it elsewhere in the city.

[Urbanista1]

The ratusz in Sandomierz certainly looks a lot like the ratusz that was torn down in the old town of Warsaw - it would look crowded today.

[Marbur66]

Originally Posted by Urbanista1

The ratusz in Sandomierz certainly looks a lot like the ratusz that was torn down in the old town of Warsaw - it would look crowded today.

Warsaw's square is rather small and quaint, and the mermaid statue is more than enough for the centre of it. Maybe if the square was much, much bigger, like Krakow....

[rychlik]

Or they could rebuild it in Pilsudski Square

[Urbanista1]

rather see the Saski and Bruhl Palaces rebuilt there. Frankly I wish they would make some moves towards recontsructing that whole western side of the square. I hate that desolate square - it's embarrassing. They could do it in stages, starting with Bruhl so that it wouldn't be a huge dent in the city budget. Can't imagine a private investor here. Some impetus for reconstruction could be mustered if they were to locate the museum of Polish history in the rebuilt Saski - the most logical location.

[JohnnyMass]

Can't they try something like what was partly done with the Frauenkirche? Donations from the public? I mean, how much money is needed to bring these two palaces back? It can't be that much...

[Urbanista1]

you're right JohnnyMass, the royal castle was rebuilt this way with public donations largely, but I'm sure there isn't that much of a sentimental attachment to the Saski Palace.

[JohnnyMass]

is or isn't?

[rychlik]

I think it will be done eventually but the postponement is a disappointment. I mean, they have to do something with that space eventually. It's asking to be developed. I walked by there in 2011 and it's a large space indeed. I could envision this square surrounded by restaurants and cafes in the summer.


Warsaw is not complete without the re-development of this square, in my opinion.


Now



Future

[intervention]

I think the appetite for this type of reconstruction in Warsaw has waned, especially given the level of debt that has been incurred through the construction of the Metro and other infrastructural projects. I seem to recall reading a notice related to Warsaw's bid for cultural capital during Poland's rotation and it was listed as part of the complex web of cultural investments but wasn't one of the top priorities, such as the Modern Art Museum or the Museum of Polish Jews.

I'm not sure what type of donations would be collected for the reconstruction of the Saxon Palace, and surely none for Bruhl given the connection it has had. Hopefully, an investor can be found in the form of a hotelier or something because that would give so much to the space in terms of activity. Right now, it's quite devoid except on official occasions.

[intervention]

They could always slap a church in the Saxon Palace. That will open up the elderly lady coffers ...

[Urbanista1]

it might be viable as a high end hotel, but I think a museum of Polish History might be better as it would be eligible for many sources of funding. Currently this type of museum is proposed for next to the Ujazdowski Castle and it has funding, so it may just be a matter of foregoing the modern project selected in the competition for one located in a reconstructed Saski Palace. Frankly, I would rather see the Museum of Contemporary Art, currently housed in the Castle moved to the modern building proposed for Museum of Polish History and the Museum of Polish History moved to the rebuilt Saski Palace. But then what to do with the Ujazdowski Castle - maybe a conference centre?

Proposed Museum of Polish History next to Ujazdowski Castle:







The project will partially cover the Lazienkowska Highway in the vicinity of the castle and create a new square adjacent to Ujazdowski Allee. The canal in the background runs along the Stanislaw axis on which the castle is centred.







Interesting post-war newspaper article about the castle, for those who read Polish. In it there is some discussion about rebuilding the castle that was set on fire by Nazis in 1939; however, the structure survived intact after the war. Unfortunately, the original surviving structure of the castle, the first royal residence when the capital of Poland was moved to Warsaw, was demolished by the Communists in the 1960's. The rebuilt castle serves as the centre of Contemporary Art.

[intervention]

Well hopefully it'll also mean there will be a renovation of the castle because it looked like crap when I was there...

[gdlrar]

+1

[leperd]

Originally Posted by Urbanista1

More Rebuilt/Reconstructed Palaces

Pac Palace

1697 - Tylman van Gameren
1828 - interiors remodelled by Henryk Marconi; grand ball room modelled agfter baths of Caracalla
1944 - destroyed
1947-1951 - rebuilt Henyrk Białobrzeski/Czesław Konopki









Tyszkiewicz Residence

1792 - Jan Kamsetzer (royal court architect)
Two Atlantes supporting balcony by Andre Le Brun
Interior stucco work by Paolo Casasopra/Giuseppe Amadio/Jan Michał Graff/Jozef Probst/Giuseppe Borghi/sculptor Johann Duldt and painter Wawrzyniec Jasinski
1944 - burned down
1948-1956 - Exterior and interiro restored to original by Jan Dąbrowski



The Raczynski Residence

1699
1787-1789 - Jan Kamsetzer
1944 - destroyed, nearly 400 killed in building being used as a makeshift hospital when Nazis set fire to the building, 30 shot while escaping and 50 shot as part of routine round-up on the Sielinski Street side.
1948-1950 - Borys Zinserling
1972-1976 - Ballroon and most of interior restored






Przebendowski Residence

1729 - Jan Zygmunt Deybel
1944 - Destroyed
Post-war - rebuilt

I'm digging up an old post because I have a question: are all the interior shots post-war? All the facade pics certainly are.
If so, then why do I never see any recent pictures in brochures, or on ssc, of these gems of reconstruction??

[Urbanista1]

these are all reconstructions. not all historic buildings were rebuilt with such painstaking attention to detail for lack of funds and ideological reasons, but most of the most important ones were. These interiors are not accessible to the public usually, except for such buildings as the royal castle. the interiors give you an idea of how much effort was put into accurate and comprehensive reconstruction....truly amazing. from what I understand there is an "open doors warsaw" event annually where people can get access to these splendid interiors.

if I get any info on Warsaw Open Doors, I will post on this site. Cheers.

[Urbanista1]

Pilsudzki Square is starting to look quite nice even without the rebuilt Saski palace. Norman Foster's Metropolitan building is quite elegant, blending into the context and defining one frayed egde of the square where once hotels and tenements stood:

Now



Pre-war







1915



A view from the domed church of the Holy Trinity above in 1855