{"id":975,"date":"2026-04-12T14:52:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T14:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/poland\/975\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T14:52:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T14:52:27","slug":"the-black-cat-in-warsaw-the-famous-unauthorised-structure-disappeared-five-years-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/poland\/975\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Black Cat” in Warsaw. The famous unauthorised structure disappeared five years ago"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, an icon of unauthorised construction in Poland stood at the junction of Okopowa and Pow\u0105zkowska Streets in Warsaw. The so-called \u2018Black Cat\u2019, also known as the \u2018My Warsaw Residence\u2019 hotel, finally disappeared from the capital\u2019s skyline in 2021. Its demolition was preceded by nearly 30 years of disputes between the owners and the authorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cCzarny Kot\u201d in Warsaw \u2013 the beginning<\/p>\n

The story of the \u201cBlack Cat\u201d began in the late 1980s. A small, single-storey retail pavilion appeared on a plot adjacent to Warsaw\u2019s Pow\u0105zki Cemetery. It mainly served people visiting the graves. The property\u2019s fortunes changed with the arrival of the 1990s. It was then that a significant and uncontrolled expansion began. Successive extensions were added to the modest pavilion in stages, often without the required permits. The owners adapted the design documentation only after the work had been completed, running a hotel in the enlarged building despite mounting conflicts with the authorities.<\/p>\n

An architectural mosaic of unauthorised alterations<\/p>\n

Over time, the building reached around 6\u20137 storeys and a height of nearly 20 metres, whilst its floor area exceeded 2,200 square metres. On this impressive scale, it became visible from a great distance. The form itself also did not go unnoticed by passers-by. What caught the eye above all was the diversity of styles, if one can even describe them as such. In one part of the structure, elements resembling castle towers, semi-circular bay windows, mansard roofs and rather haphazard divisions of the fa\u00e7ade appeared, whilst in others, angular, massive forms devoid of such \u2018finesse\u2019 dominated. The fa\u00e7ades of the \u201cBlack Cat\u201d were finished with a mix of materials, including glossy brick and decorations of unspecified function and origin. The building\u2019s surroundings were also full of peculiar touches. Lion sculptures were placed at the entrances, kitschy little columns appeared, and there was even a symbolic \u201cmoat\u201d with a bridge spanning it, which only added to the absurdity of the scene. The whole thing looked like an architect\u2019s worst nightmare.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cCzarny Kot\u201d in the past and an empty plot today. Photo: Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons and Google Maps
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cCzarny Kot\u201d and its interiors<\/p>\n

The interior of the building was no different from its exterior. The rooms were dominated by gold detailing, heavy chandeliers and mirrors in ornate frames. Each seemed to vie for the guest\u2019s attention, multiplying the decorations and imitations of luxurious materials. The owners placed statues of wild animals in the hotel, which intensified the theatrical and exaggerated effect. Interestingly, this visual chaos had its admirers. They saw it as an attraction and an expression of the investors\u2019 imagination. Most opinions, however, were negative and pointed to an extreme example of aesthetic chaos.<\/p>\n

Demolition of Poland\u2019s most famous unauthorised building<\/p>\n

Since the 1990s, the \u2018Black Cat\u2019 had been in conflict with the building authorities. Decisions ordering the demolition of unauthorised structures were interspersed with attempts to legalise further sections. The final breakthrough, after nearly 30 years of legal battles, came in 2018. The Supreme Administrative Court in Warsaw issued a final judgement ordering the removal of the illegally added sections. Demolition work began in December 2019. By April 2020, the top storeys, which for years had defined the building\u2019s notorious silhouette, had disappeared. In 2021, another ruling was handed down, this time ordering the handover of the now cleared site to the city. It was then taken over by a bailiff, thus bringing to an end the story of Poland\u2019s most famous case of unauthorised construction. Today, the \u2018Black Cat\u2019 exists only in the memories of residents and in archival photographs.<\/p>\n

Source: Warsaw City Hall, Wola District<\/a><\/p>\n

Read also:Interesting facts<\/a>|Warsaw<\/a> | Architecture in Poland<\/a>|whiteMAD on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

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