Willa architekta Henryka Marconiego w warszawie

Abstract

Villa of architect Henryk Marconi in Warsaw

The no-longer existing seat of architect Henryk Marconi at the intersection of Jerozolimskie Avenue and Marszalkowska Street in Warsaw is one of the particularly interesting residences built in the 19th century. The construction of this project covered three major stages, from 1843 to around 1862. The final layout consisted of four two-story buildings connected by one-story galleries, formed into two „wings” with lengths corresponding to the dimensions of the plot. Distinguished by its original concept, the building was intended to be perceived as a sign of the owner’s achieved professional and social status, while demonstrating his artistic beliefs and intellectual horizons. The work highlighted not only Marconi’s creative abilities and ambitions, but also reflected the artistic processes taking place in local architecture. Marconi’s Neo-Renaissance residence also provides evidence of the remarkable longevity of the idea of the artist’s home, which was particularly vivid during the Renaissance. On the basis of iconographic accounts and hitherto unknown and untapped written sources, the article presents new findings about the architecture of the villa foundation, enabling its reconstruction. They significantly supplement the history of the construction, but also open interesting research perspectives on the artistic genesis, function, significance, and finally the place the palace occupied among the trends
shaping the architecture of Warsaw at that time.