Façade decoration at 51 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 is an exception within the project, as the building received virtually complete ornamentation during its reconstruction. For this reason, the artistic intervention is limited to detail. The artist utilised the interstorey band located beneath the attic. In this space, they placed a painted panel featuring decorative typography incorporating a motif of wheat ears. The inscription reads: ‘Attyka coronat opus’ (The attic crowns the work).

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