A virtual walk through the revitalized tenements at 13 and 15 Foksal Street in Warsaw.
While strolling through an old city - Warsaw, Krakow or Poznan - flaneurs like to look deep into the tenements, discover their secrets. A staircase that is inconspicuous at first glance may greet the passerby with a stained-glass window on the second floor that is decades old, or an original floor of ancient tiles. In another, the entrance to each apartment will be decorated with a wooden bas-relief of the daughter of an architect who has been dead for a century. Polish townhouses have a lot to offer, just walk in.
The extraordinary situation prompts the use of innovative tools. Ghelamco, which is carrying out the revitalization of two historic tenements at 13 and 15 Foksal Street, has prepared a series of videos telling the story of these exceptional buildings. The spacious, sunny, beautifully decorated interiors of Poland's most prestigious investment can now be viewed by customers without leaving home. This is a real treat not only for those considering investing capital in luxury real estate, but also for all lovers of Warsaw's beautiful architecture and history.
There is no other investment like it - neither in a city whose historic buildings were mostly destroyed by wars, nor in the portfolio of a developer famous for its sky-high glass towers. Built at the end of the 19th century, the tenements at 13 and 15 Foksal Street will soon - after years of falling into neglect and then painstaking revitalization - fill with life again. At the moment, the final finishing touches are being made to the buildings, and soon the owners will receive the keys to their apartments.
Despite the current situation, the number of inquiries from people interested in buying luxury apartments has even increased in recent weeks. In order to allow customers to see selected units, while not exposing them to unnecessary risks, we have prepared a series of short, several-minute films that are a virtual tour of the buildings. This was a spontaneous decision, prompted by unusual circumstances and conditions we had not yet encountered. When recording our walk-throughs, we were mindful of the epidemiological strictures in force and the safety of our employees, so only two people were involved in their preparation. We are making the individual videos available individually to our clients interested in the Foksal 13/15 development, " says Piotr Łukasik, director of the Residential department at Ghelamco Poland.
From the underground to the roof
They were called pearls of belle époque architecture because of the number and craftsmanship of the ornaments used by their builder, architect Arthur Otto Spitzbarth
© Partner of promotion
During the online walk, we pass through the glass-roofed patio, where, as befits a luxury development, there will be a concierge area and a heated lounge with couches and beautiful plants - here residents and their guests will be able to enjoy a coffee or a chat. Another highlight of Foksal 13/15 will be the building's rooftop terrace with a view of the Warsaw skyline (the location where it will be built can also be seen in the footage).
Viewers will also get a glimpse of the luxury development from a slightly more practical side, namely the modern underground garage for more than 60 cars, which was built under the historic townhouses. This bold venture was made possible by using, probably for the first time in Poland, the innovative method of micropiles.
Light, space and details
The most important asset of Foksal 13/15, however, is undoubtedly the apartments themselves. Huge, bright and very spacious thanks to their height reaching over 4 meters. Already the entrance doors leading to them are a perfect harbinger of what we will see inside - they are double, richly carved wood sashes topped with a decorative supraporta.
Both townhouses were exceptionally lavish buildings, inhabited by wealthy bourgeois, industrialists, cultural figures and politicians. Even at the time they were built, they were called pearls of belle époque architecture because of the number and craftsmanship of the decorations used by their builder, architect Arthur Otto Spitzbarth.
A huge part of the historic decorations in the interiors and common spaces survived, against the dramatic fate of Warsaw in the 20th century and the intentions of some of the more creative tenants. The multicolored ceiling polychromes and richly carved stucco, moldings and rosettes have been carefully restored and reconstructed by a team led by architect Anna Rostkowska , a recognized specialist in historic architecture. Among others, the best stucco studios in the country, a total of eight such artisan workshops, were also engaged to help.
We carefully restored all the surviving historical decorations in the apartments. In addition, we have created a special catalog of decorative elements, in which we have collected all the patterns of stucco, rosettes, moldings, polychromes and parquet floors found at Foksal 13/15. Owners of apartments that did not have them can choose individual elements to use in their own apartment. As a result, the decorations that will appear at the request of the new owner will be consistent with other design elements of the townhouses, " says Jeroen van der Toolen, Ghelamco's managing director for Central and Eastern Europe.
Highest standards
The multicolored ceiling polychromes and richly carved stucco, moldings and rosettes have undergone careful conservation and restoration
© Partner of promotion
The historic character, stunning antique details and solid 120-year-old floors do not exclude the functionality of the rooms and their adaptation to modern utility needs. Audio-videoconnections have been prepared in the bedrooms, and the spacious, bright bathrooms easily accommodate both a shower and a bathtub. The buildings are also equipped with all modern installations and with elevators.
One example of how the developer carrying out the revitalization managed to combine the highest standards and respect for the historic character of the buildings is the windows used in the townhouses. These are wooden box windows, faithfully recreating the appearance of those chosen for his buildings by Artur Otto Spitzbarth, while meeting current requirements for acoustic and thermal insulation properties.
Take a sample video tour of the Foksal 13/15 apartments:
