The Warsaw “razor blade building”, one of the examples of post-war modernism in Poland, has officially been entered into the register of monuments. The decision to protect the historic building complex of the Central Office for Industrial Construction Studies was made by Marcin Dawidowicz, the Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments. This honours the work of Marek Leykam, an architect who, in the 1950s, developed his own distinctive formal language, which defied the then-prevailing doctrine of socialist realism.
The complex, of which the “razor blade” building is a part, was built between 1950 and 1954 on a narrow quarter between Wspólna, Poznańska and św. Barbary Streets. It consists of two buildings: the former office building of the Special Construction Design Office and the monumental building of the Warsaw Branch, known today as Ufficio Primo. Although they were built within a short period of time, they represent different formal approaches, which Leykam was able to combine into a coherent, intellectually sophisticated whole.
The “Razor Blade Building”, i.e. the former office building of the Headquarters, is distinguished by its minimalist form and repetitive modules with distinctive chiaroscuro. This rhythmic arrangement, reminiscent of vertical blades, became one of the most characteristic motifs in Leykam’s oeuvre. Two years later, the architect designed the neighbouring Warsaw Branch building – a building of a completely different character, monumental, with clear references to the Italian Renaissance. However, both buildings share the author’s erudition, visible in the details of the façade, which constituted a subtle yet bold counterpoint to the socialist realist architecture imposed by the authorities at the time.
In the justification for the decision to enter the complex in the register of monuments, the conservator emphasises its uniqueness: “The building complex covered by the proceedings is a unique project on the scale of Warsaw. Its concept was developed at a time when the influences of modernism and functionalism coexisted, which were reflected in the work of Marek Leykam and the socialist realism promoted by the state authorities […]. The complex was built in the second line of buildings on Aleja Jerozolimskie and Marszałkowska Street, in a small block of streets, after the demolition of tenement houses destroyed during World War II.”
Dawidowicz points out that the historical value of the complex stems from its connection with the post-war reconstruction of the capital and the participation of eminent architects in this process. While working on public buildings, Leykam created a style that combined modernist heritage with the needs of users, while allowing him to maintain his creative independence. In the case of the “razor blade” and Ufficio Primo, the proportions, spatial relationships and sightlines that determined the harmony of the entire complex remain clearly visible.
The conservator also emphasises the scientific value of the complex, describing it as a source of knowledge about the architecture of 1950–1954, the relationship between modernism and socialist realism, and the political pressure exerted on creators. As he points out: “The concept developed by Marek Leykam is a masterful example of apparent adaptation to an imposed formula, with a reference to Renaissance and modernist architecture that is clear to the conscious viewer […]”.
Today’s entry in the register of monuments not only protects one of Warsaw’s most interesting post-war architectural complexes, but also symbolically recognises Leykam’s courage and intellectual independence. “Żyletkowiec” a status that has long been due to him: the status of a testimony to an era in which architecture could be both subordinate and free.
source: Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments
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