Façade decoration at 77 Szeroka St.

Technique: metalwork

Object:

One of three historicist façades covering a block of flats built as part of the post-war reconstruction of Gdańsk. In 2014, the façade underwent a major refurbishment under the ‘Gdańskie Fasady OdNowa’ project, which aimed to improve the quality of public spaces in Główne Miasto by adding architectural decoration to existing buildings that were omitted during Gdańsk’s reconstruction.

The eastern triaxial four-storey façade gained a decoration in the form of a parallel signboard, placed in the inter-window space of the first and second storeys. Made of sheet metal with a skeletal structure, the sign measures 5 m in length and is angled away from the façade, increasing its visibility to passers-by. On the white background of the plaque is a black inscription reading GALERIA, written in a spatial sans-serif typeface. On both its sides is a tin-cut ornament made up of multiplied cereal ears. In addition, the entire façade received a new turquoise render. The fourth storey windows on the corners are flanked by small clerestory arcades. The entire façade of the building is topped with a triangular pediment. The aim of the façade design, as with the façades of the tenement houses at 82, 86, and 87 Szeroka Street, was to minimise uncontrolled advertising in the public space.

Place:

The building is located in an area designated as a heritage site. It forms part of the historic urban layout of Gdańsk. Szeroka Street was destroyed in 1945 during World War II. Most of the tenement houses were rebuilt without respecting the historical layout. Historic remnants can only be seen in the distinction of the separate façades with gables and in the ridge layout perpendicular to the street. The height and width of the buildings were standardised, and consequently, the historic parcelling was not maintained. Retail and service units were located in the ground floor. Szeroka Street acts as a boundary between the historicising reconstruction and modern development: a place where the two ways of post-war reconstruction intertwine.

Information about the author:

Jacek Wielebski (b. 1987) graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. He co-founded Traffic Design, an association dedicated to art and design in public space. He is a graphic artist, street artist, poster designer, and organiser of cultural events.

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: Admista Stawska

Author of the entry: Noemi Etush