Sosnowiec's districts are a veritable architectural mish-mash. The city is woven from assemblages of eras and incidental ideas. Spatial inconsistency is particularly noticeable here, but at the same time it is a great picture of the course of history. Pogoń, a district of Sosnowiec, is also like this. However, it has something more noble about it. Against the background of the whole city, it is different, unique. Maybe it's the proximity to the faculties of the University of Silesia, maybe it's the merit of the better architecture that creates the neighborhood's everyday life. Maybe it's due to the small, atmospheric places and the people who create them. Although it is not considered the safest of neighborhoods, new life is entering its neglected part.
A view of an unfinished 1930s townhouse.
© Kaizerbrecht Investment
anatomy of spatial variations
It is worth mentioning that Pogoń functioned as a village from the 14th century until 1902, and then became part of the newly created town of Sosnowice, later renamed Sosnowiec. In the second half of the 19th century, the eastern part with an industrial character developed rapidly, where Heinrich Gotthold Dietel, Ernst and Franz Schoen and Oscar Huldczynski, among others, located their factories. Dietel also initiated the cultural and educational character of the district by founding the Real School. This direction of development continued in subsequent years. Facilities such as a community center and universities were built, making Pogonia an academic district. At its heart, the original urban layout is maintained. The workers' and clerks' settlement was haphazardly built along straight, narrow streets, paved with clinker road bricks or stone cat-heads. Low-rise, brick or brick-and-stone townhouses were built, which each owner finished in an original and slightly different way. In the 1930s modernism moved into the district, which raised the quality and height of residential buildings. After the war, from the 1950s onward, residential, typically functional buildings were built, followed by the very expansive construction of large-panel housing developments. All these ingredients contributed to the unique appearance of Pogonia, which is fading nowadays. Asphalt and ubiquitous Styrofoam effectively mask the original appearance of Pogoń's architecture and cause its atmosphere to recede into the realm of memories.
Visualization of the reconstruction of the tenements - view from the corner of Grochowa and Maria Curie-Skłodowska streets
© Kaizerbrecht Investment
one plot, three faces
An outbuilding listed in the municipal register of monuments, a crumbling corner tenement from the early 20th century and an unfinished modernist tenement from the 1930s- all these buildings are located on one small corner plot at the intersection of Maria Skłodowska-Curie and Grochowastreets. The cramped and stylistically heterogeneous architecture is the result of years of economic development by one wealthy Zagłębie family. The first floor of the building was a butcher store and a butcher store. The "3 Kamienice" project is one of the first to attempt to save historical substance, even that which is not under conservation protection. Initially, the investor (the Warsaw-based "3 Kamienice" company), having acquired the property as an "attractive building plot," did not think that the ruined buildings on it would still be of any use. However, the unique character of the neighborhood led him to think about the possibilities of preserving and reusing the historic townhouses. This project, pioneering in the neighborhood, proves that it is possible to reconcile investor profits, preservation of historic architecture and improvement of the neighborhood's image. This realization is also intended to draw attention to the problem of the irreversible destruction of historical buildings and set the course for creating new quality in Pogoń.
Visualization of the modernization from Grochowa Street - expansion of the outbuilding and view of the side wall of the tenement house
© Kaizerbrecht Investment
bringing new life
The architectural and construction study by Kaizerbrecht Investment assumes the renovation of the historic outbuilding, the rescue renovation of the oldest corner tenement with a two-story extension in the current architectural style, and the completion of the unfinished 1930s tenement. This procedure, which resulted in as many as three distinct blocks, reflects the history of the entire neighborhood. The historic building with a gable roof is to house 25 apartments, while the original form of the building remains unchanged. In addition, all window woodwork will be replaced, but the original appearance will also be preserved without changing the form, shape and location. The superstructure of the building will be characterized by a facade made of anthracite-colored sheet metal, which, when juxtaposed with brick-colored plaster, creates an interesting combination. The facade in a rather bold color is intended to relate to the character of the district. Due to the inclusion of one of the buildings in the Municipal Register of Historic Places, the entire project was, of course, presented to the Provincial Historic Preservation Officer and received the appropriate approval.
Tenement development project - view from Maria Curie-Skłodowska Street
© Kaizerbrecht Investment
"Sosnowiec, I love you"
Sosnowiec's Zagłębie Theater once staged the play "Roots," based on Zbigniew Białas' novel of the same name. In this story, the title character, Alojzy Korzeniec, threw the above slogan under specific circumstances. With a pervasive lack of prospects, he achieved success. And for this he loved the city in which he came to live. Paraphrasing Korzeniec's words, one can say that amid the surrounding lack of prospects, the "3 Tenements" were lucky and are getting a second life. This part of Pogon needed an impetus for change. And it is this investment that can help transform this unique piece of the world.
