M8
PAWEL LIS ARCHITEKCI

M8 HOUSE. The transformation of the Ugly Duckling as from Andersen's fairy tale.

PAWEL LIS ARCHITEKCI en tant que Architectes.

The house was built in the 1970s. It was sited on two sides on the border. Its facade pretended to be a neo-classical 19th-century facade. In a semi-detached development with a neighboring building maintained in a completely different character, it was an extremely mismatched pair.

photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński

We decided that the whole thing was not an example of architecture worth preserving for future generations. We had an irresistible impression that the building itself would like to change its appearance. It would like to straighten up, not pretend anything, and look appropriate to the times in which redevelopment found it. It should refer to the times when great Polish modernists such as Stanisław and Barbara Brukalscy and Juliusz Żurawski carried out their projects in “Stary Żoliborz”, one of district in Warsaw. It was not easy to convince the conservation officers to accept our idea. At last, the project received conservation recommendations and after many adventures it was realized.

photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński

The existing house was radically remodeled. The relocated staircase allowed for a better layout of functions and a larger interior of the house. The staircase structure can be seen through two-level vertical glazing.

photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński

The elevated first floor features a living room with dining room, open kitchen and work room. From the front and garden, the facade has been largely glazed. This makes the vivid greenery look into the house.

photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński

On the first floor, two rooms and a bathroom have been located, with access to a terrace on the first level roof. On the garden side of the basement, it was possible to additionally place a bedroom with a large bathroom and a dressing room. Good lighting is provided by sliding windows, which additionally allow the bedroom to exit directly onto the intimate terrace below ground level. 

photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński
photo_credit Radosław Gałczyński
Radosław Gałczyński

The M8 has been given a second life and a unique look - just like the place where it is located.

photo_credit Pawel Lis
Pawel Lis
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