Façade decoration at 106/108 Ogarna Street

Object: The façade covers a residential block constructed as part of Gdańsk’s post-war reconstruction. In 2015, it 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 façade of the building at 106/108 Ogarna Street is one of the few that only slightly references historical architecture. The original decoration includes cornices that define the central part of the façade, which the artist utilised to create a new pattern based on the geometry of the window openings. Lines filled with colour were drawn from the vertices of the windows. This intervention disrupts the perception of an apparently symmetrical composition, revealing the asymmetry and imperfections of the building. The result is a unique pattern whose muted, pastel colour palette does not overpower the overall design.

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

Condition of the object: good

Owner/guardian: ‘Attyka’ real estate management

Author of the entry: Noemi Etush