Warsaw. Elizeum to undergo renovation, tender underway

The building and the park area are listed in the register of monuments. – For 200 years, the clay insulation has been destroyed by the forces of nature. Therefore, it is important to create it anew and ensure proper ventilation. The works covered by the tender announced by the Capital City Development Board will be completed by mid-2028. The investment will be co-financed from the Government Program for the Reconstruction of Monuments – said Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw.

The underground cave is a monument from the end of the 18th century. It requires urgent renovation work aimed at restoring waterproofing and ventilation.

“They need to be protected from water from precipitation, which penetrates the interior and causes degradation of the structure. For technical reasons, excavating the structure will only be possible in sections, and the entire structure will be temporarily roofed,” the city hall reported.

The first phase of the works will consist of controlled drying of the monument and its protection against rainwater. The top layer of soil will be removed, the walls will be cleaned, fungi-free and reinforced, and the joints will be filled. The second phase will consist of works related to the reconstruction of the historical clay insulation. Construction, reconstruction and protection works will also be carried out.

This is another renovation that Elizeum will undergo. In 2021, the unblocking of the upper entrance was completed, which provided better ventilation of the historic building. The building is in an archaeological area, so the work will be carried out in accordance with conservation permits and under the supervision of the capital's conservator of monuments.

Elizeum was designed by the outstanding architect Szymon B. Zug, as the underground salon of Prince Kazimierz Poniatowski (the king's brother) in Na Książęcym Park (currently Rydz Śmigły Park on Książęca Street). The interior of the cave was once richly decorated with frescoes, columns, sculptures, and stuccos. However, according to the conservator, as a result of improper use of the facility after the prince's death in 1800 and many neglects, the interior was significantly destroyed. Over the last two hundred years, due to overgrowth by trees and shrubs, the layer of clay insulation with which the cave was covered from the outside was almost completely destroyed. This ultimately led to the destruction of the historical décor.

The brick structure in the form of an underground rotunda is closed by four semicircular niches. Around the domed hall, there are corridors located higher up, covered with a barrel vault. Daylight entered through a round opening in the dome, and the hall was also lit with candles and oil lamps. Doors placed in the mass of the escarpment lead inside. In its heyday, the hall was heated in winter by a fireplace, and an underground corridor connected it with the so-called Imam's House, where the kitchen was located.

The Elizeum was probably where Prince Casimir, known for his lavish lifestyle, held his social gatherings. Guests were entertained by musicians hidden in the upper corridor, which provided good acoustics. According to some accounts, the Elizeum was also supposed to be a place of meetings and even meetings of the Masonic lodge.

As we have already reported on tvnwarszawa.pl, the paintings inside are in poor technical condition.