Parking posts

Public space

@. ubiquitous

architect. if i only knew (fist shaking)

finished. a work in progress

Parking in Warsaw is 'wolno amerykanka', literally a free American, basically a free for all. The more clever the space you find (in other words the more it gets in everyone elses way) the bigger balls you have. It's a blight on the city. It really multiplies the schizophrenic feel of the urban fabric. The only form of regulation that the city seems to have is to put up decorative posts to block essential zones (like cross-walks) from turning into parking spaces. However there is a silver lining...the city is becoming more interested in creating well defined urban zones (like Krakowskie Przedmiescie and Nowy Swiat). So with time that same thoughtful strategy will tricle down to neighborhood streets as well.

Street Art Doping

 

@. Rondo Sedlaczka (Port Czerniakowski, Wybrzeze Kosciuszkowskie)

artists. Many

finished. 2009

2009 saw the first year of the Street Art Doping Festival. The idea was to enliven and brighten some of Warsaw's gray walls as well as raising up street art from the realm of graffiti and vandalism - Warsaw is plagued by tagging. The murals created during the festival are of a really high caliber. They engage the city and various forgotten spaces. The festival managed several key collaborations with artists from around Europe, with various city non-profits like Ja Wisla as well as the Department of Roads and Transportation.

Memorial Plaques

@. everywhere, keep your eyes peeled
artist. I'm not sure, I think they were a citizen-based initiative
finished. I think it's an ongoing project, it started in the 50's

There are 300+ plaques located on walls and small monuments throughout the city. They are ubiquitous, you can easily pass them by without seeing them but when you start paying attention you see they are everywhere. And once you understand what they commemorate the horror of occupation becomes a little more understandable. They commemorate places related to the Warsaw Uprising and the lives lost in Warsaw due to German occupation terror, especially street executions. These mini war memorials are actively remembered and often have fresh flowers and candles placed on them.

Studio 3F

photo Fot. L.Jabrzemski, zdjęcie pochodzi z książki Adolfa Ciborowskiego "Warszawa. O zniszczeniu i odbudowie miasta", Wydawnictwo Interpress, Warszawa 1969 r.

@. Nowolipki 28b
architect.
finished. 2007 (renovation)

This is an uber fancy design furniture store. It's not particularly friendly but definitely worth a visit since it's housed in what was the steam heating plant for at least part of the Muranow (click for pics) housing complex built in the 50's. The space is imposing, at least 3 stories high, with massive windows and lovely modern furniture sprinkled around the showroom floor. Even the entrance is cool with the austere lobby acting like a giant billboard with one unlabeled fire-door that you have to be brave enough to try and go in though ... Check them out here.

Sorry about the crazy photo. I don't have one for the studio. This one is of Nowolipki after the war and really has nothing to do with the post.

Jelonki

 

@. Konarskiego 85

architect.

finished. 1952

A.k.a. Osiedle Przyjazn (Friendship Community), which came from osiedle Przyjazni Polsko-Radzieckiej (Community of Polish-Russian Friendship). It was built to house the thousands of Russian workers who came to build the Palace of Kulture. The housing was surrounded by barbed wire and had a guard at the gate. The community had all sorts of ammenities: a movie theater, cafeteria, club, library, post office, baths and steam-heating plant. There were barracks for the workers and single family homes for the management. Some of the houses were built with material salvaged from a POW camp near Olsztynek while some of the houses were pre-fabs from Finland. After the PKiN was finished in 1955 the houses were turned over to Warsaw and used as university student housing.  

This is a really charming corner of Warsaw. Even visiting it on a cold day in December I had to appreciate how picturesque it was; low, long, colorful wood houses settled amongst trees and lawns. It kinda had a feel of American campus life with columns at the entrance to each building and grassy knolls in front. There was a surprising lack of cars and a general aura of peace and quiet (it could be that I was there early on a Sunday morning and all the students were sleeping off their hangovers though). 

Burakowska

@. Burakowska 5/7

architect. Szymon Landau

finished. 1911–1912

Sweet little courtyard you'd never expect to find amongst all the garages and warehouses. Currently housing a great restaurant/wine bar and some fru-fru home decor shops. The former lace factory (fabryka koronek Landau) was bought by businessman Stefan Bogdanski in the mid 90's. The factory was slated for demolition but he saw potential here for (the already trendy in the west) loft style apartments and studios he'd seen in London. The idea quickly took off and soon this little enclave was getting some interesting neighbors, more furniture design stores and two clubs: Piekarnia and CDQ. Some have started to call this neighborhood Warsaw's Soho. I think that's pushing it considering it consists of one street.

article

Gazownia/Gas Company

@. Ul. Kasprzaka 25
architect. ?
finished. 1888 (closed 1978)

It all started with the city of Warsaw ceding the rights to provide gas to a German concern. The first gas lines, used to illuminate apartments and city streets, were installed along Nowy Swiat, Krakowskie Przedmiescie, Ksiazeca and Ludna in 1857, demand quickly increased, a new gas works needed to be built. And so the giant compound on Kasprzaka came to be. It used coal to produce gas, and in 1978 it was closed when this method of production was replaced by hi-methane ground gas.


Much of the factory compound is well preserved. There is a museum to visit. I haven't been but check it out, as well as this neat virtual tour. For some reason these massive silo-like buildings haven't been maintained. Apparently they are called gasometers and were used to regulate gas pressure in tubes by immersing them in pools of water. They remind me of Dickens/Gaskell as well as Phillip Pullman. This is what was done with similar gasometers in Vienna.

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Norblin

Ex-factory/Cultural Space

@. Zelazna 51/53
architekt. ?
finished. 1893

This former silver-plating factory is currently almost abandoned. It stopped production in the late 70's and by 1982 the grounds, untouched for several decades, were taken over by the Museum of Industry. Currently the musem, a worthwhile collection of old cars, motorcycles and various other modes of transportation is in Ochota. The only tenant is a theater and the entire complex is under development by JEMS Architects. It will be transformed into offices, cultural spaces and apartments that will maintain the most valuable architectural elements. For now come and check out this corner of Warsaw where time has seemingly stood still for the last 70 years. It is an incredible juxtaposition to the shining skyscrapers in the background and a real window into the history of industrialized Warsaw.
A link to the proposed project.