The tenement house at 21 Chmielna Street was erected at the end of the 19th century, but it has changed a lot over the years. The façade is currently being renovated. “Conservation works are aimed at restoring the original aesthetics from the time of the last reconstruction” – informs the capital city hall.
In 1919, it was purchased by the Jabłkowski family, which a few years earlier erected a building next door known as the Department Store of the Jabłkowski Brothers. Even before 1939, the historicist design of the facade of the building was changed to a more modern one.
The building survived the war without major damage. During the post-war reconstruction of Chmielna Street in the 1950s and 1960s, the appearance of the façade changed again. The original plastered façade was covered with tiles imitating dark brick – identical to those used in the neighboring buildings at the addresses 23 and 27/31. This procedure gave a new aesthetic value – the building with a typical 19th-century façade composition gained a modern finish, consistent with the neighboring buildings from the reconstruction of Warsaw.
Chmielna 21 – plaster before and after renovationWarsaw City Hall
They clean and fill in the gaps
Currently, renovation works are underway on the front elevation of the Jabłkowski house at ul. Chmielna 21. The city supports the renovation with a subsidy of PLN 109,000.
“Over the years, its facade has become dirty and corroded. Conservation works aim at restoring the original aesthetics from the time of the last reconstruction, when the tenement house gained its present appearance. The renovation consists primarily in cleaning the tiles, strengthening their structure and filling in the gaps. Missing joints are also supplemented. Plastered fragments of the façade are being cleaned, supplemented and painted in their original color.The metal balustrades will also be renovated, the capital city hall informs in a communiqué.
Tenement house at Chmielna 21 Warsaw City Hall
Main photo source: Warsaw City Hall