Skyscrapers of Warsaw: Warszawa Hotel (Prudential)

Warszawa Hotel (Prudential)

Main data:

Height to the roof: 69 m
Total height: 69 m
Number of floors: 16
Year of construction: 1934
Designer: Marcin Weinfeld
Location: Pl. Powstańców Warszawy (Warsaw Insurgents Square) 9

The building of Warszawa Hotel, also known as Prudential, is not one of highest buildings in Warsaw anymore. But it is an important part of the city's history. Before Second World War it was the highest one in the city. And till today it is one of the most characteristic buildings in the centre.

English insurance company Prudential started the construction of this building in 1931, at the intersection of Swietokrzyska street and Napoleon Square (currently Warsaw Insurgents Square). In that time there were already a few high-rise buildings in the city, but none of them was as big as new, 69-metre-high skyscraper. The main designer of Prudential was engineer Marcin Weinfeld, who was already well-known in Warsaw at that time, as he was the author of many successful projects of houses. The building's structure was designed by famous constructor professor Stefan Bryla, who had designed before, among other things, many projects of bridges. Among them, the most famous one was the first in the world welded steel road bridge over small river Sludwia, in the village of Maurzyce, near Lowicz, west of Warsaw. 1500 tonnes of steel, 2 million bricks and 2 thousand tonnes of cement was used to construct the building. Soon, the skyscraper arouse a lot of controversy. People from surrounding houses started to complain that it was too big, it was blocking out the sunlight. They even demanded its knockdown. But that was not proceeded and the building stood until Second World War. In 1938 an experimental TV mast was installed on its top.

In 1944, during Warsaw Uprising, Prudential was seriously damaged. In some days, a bullet was hitting the building averagely once for every 8 minutes. But thanks to its solid structure, the building remained standing. However, its damages were significant.

Few years after the war, the building was restored. But it was modified much. The pre-war elevation, that had been quite simple and rather 'cheerful' was changed into more dull, monumental one, representing social realistic style, which was popular at that time. But, what is worth mentioning, the new elevation was designed also by Marcin Weinfeld. Also the building's name and destiny were changed. Prudential became Warszawa Hotel. 53 one-person rooms, 73 2-person rooms and three apartments were located here.

Since 1st of July 2003 the hotel stopped functioning, as its standard was rather too low for Warsaw conditions. A decision of organizing a competition for the reconstruction was made then. An architectural bureau "Bulanda, Mucha Architects" has won it. The plan was to change the top floors into luxurious apartments, and to arrange hotel and cafe on lower floors. Also annexes were supposed to be reconstructed and the courtyard would be covered with glass roof. The elevations were supposed to recover their pre-war appearance. Unfortunately, till today those plans were not realised. Only previous interiors were disassembled, but the renovation itself was not even started, because of legal matters, connected with problems with construction permit - the city did not agree that the function of the building's part were changed from a hotel into residential. So probably eventually Prudential will have to remain its hotel function. In 2009 the building's owner - Polimex Mostostal has sold it to Likus family, which has connections with hotel trade. This transaction gives a hope that the reconstruction of the building will be started soon. But for now, unfortunately, this historical building keeps standing empty for a few years till now.

Prudential in Wiech's story

Stefan Wiechecki "Wiech" was a notable writer, who can be described as "most Warsaw" writer. He became famous especially thanks to his feuilletons and stories about life in pre-war Warsaw. So it is nothing special that Prudential, as one of most distinctive Warsaw buildings, was also a topic of one of his stories. The language of Wiech's stories is really unique and shows a typical Warsaw dialect, which was used before Second World War and till today survived only very fragmentarily. So it is really hard to translate it in such way to show at least a piece of his special style.

Fly - man

At Napoleon Square, in front of Warsaw skyscraper two tight gentlemen stopped at 1 o'clock in the night. For a while they admired the giant speechless, running their eyes over it, finally one of them said:
- That would be really impossible, when living here, to enter through the window to your flat without waking your spouse up.
- Unless you live on the first floor.
- Maybe, but also poorly, cause walls are slippery here.
- But actually, one gentleman appeared lately, who intends to climb up the wall to the roof of this building.
- Fake.
- Not a fake, in the town of Łódz he climbed to a four-floored house. All the town watched this. Women were fainting, and he was only climbing like up the ladder, and supposedly he was even declaiming at the same time. When he reached the top, he reached a gutter and performed a dreadful jump just to the roof. The called him a Fly - man.
- In Łódz he could be a fly, but here he'll be a mug.
- Why is that ?
- You're childish. To get your muzzle pounded sixteen times is not the same as four times. Is it so or not ?
- Indeed, but who will beat him ?
- Every single occupant who will see his muzzle behind the window, that's clear.
Would you be better, if you wake up in the morning and you will see some unknown individual who looks into your flat through the window vent, and declaims "The return of the father" in addition ? First of all you would goggle at him, and then bang him into his teeth with whatever you would reach at the moment.
By the way, in this house a photographer resides. And what if at the moment, when this yours Fly - man will look into his business, he would be taking a photo of a naked woman, who had a wish to have a portrait with an apple, just like Eve ?
So what will be then ?
The woman will get embarrassed, runaway from the camera, the photographer will waste the film and he'll be at a loss. So whom will he pound then: me, you or the Fly - man ?
- Seems that him.
- You see. I would say in such conditions he won't make it higher than sixth floor and he must fall down to his nut.
- May be. But actually I would like to have such skills. You can earn on that, and entertain the company as well.
- Right that. And, you know what, I think it's even not that hard.
When talking further, the gentlemen agreed, that actually only the training decides. So they decided to start it at once. They selected for that a bit smaller object than the skyscraper, but neighbouring with it nearly directly, namely a small public building hidden in the shadow of the trees.
No matter it was the first time, it went perfect. After an hour of a climbing the two acrobats reached the top windows. They would for sure get their own way, but the rumours woke up a cashier who were sleeping inside and called the police. The both Fly - men travelled to jail. They are supposed to answer for their achievement in the municipal court. For what ?!?