Western façade decoration at 10 Ogarna Street

Object: One of two historicising façades covering a residential block constructed as part of Gdańsk’s post-war reconstruction. In 2014, the façade underwent a complete renovation as part of the ‘Gdańskie Fasady OdNowa’ project, aimed at improving the quality of public spaces in the Main Town by adding architectural decorations to buildings that had been overlooked during Gdańsk’s reconstruction.

The decoration of the three-bay western façade is based on a painted pattern composed of geometric forms in earthy tones with turquoise accents. The dominant elements are two bright triangles: the first positioned at the level of the second storey, and the second between the third and fourth storeys. Both shapes give the impression of emerging from behind the window openings. Above the second and third storeys are two rectangles made up of repeated diagonal lines, with the upper rectangle partially overlapping the top triangle. The gable is adorned with a parallelogram and a trapezoid, placed within the outline of the gable and resembling the shape of the Greek letter lambda.

Location: The buildings are in an area designated as a heritage site. They form part of the historic urban layout of the city of Gdańsk. Ogarna Street was destroyed in 1945 during the war. It was rebuilt on the basis of the so-called Zachwatowicz plan that envisaged the reconstruction of historical forms, which was only feasible in the form of a workers’ housing estate. The erected block of flats was covered by a historicist façade screen. The buildings thus created were the result of combining two houses into a complex with a common staircase, an entrance from the courtyard and an even top line of windows emphasising the block-like nature of the premise. The elevations were not completed with architectural decoration.

Information about the author: Robert ‘Seikon’ Rączka (born in 1987 in Gdynia) is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, active in the art world since 1999. He currently lives in Athens. Associated with street art, he works with painting and sculpture, including installations. His style has evolved over the years, with his interests currently focused on geometry and lines. He creates unique geometric patterns that transform various surfaces through colour and design. Seikon’s works may be found in many locations around the world, mainly the public spaces of cities and villages. He specializes in murals, paintings and spatial steel structures. His inspiration comes from modernist architecture and the Bauhaus.

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: ‘Attyka’ real estate management

Author of the entry: Noemi Etush