Hen. Hrekova St. 8 - Residential Building

The destruction, caused by the First World War, deprived a large number of people of shelter. The rebuilding and industrial growth required attracting new workers, who, in their turn, were in need of decent living conditions.

In the interwar period large enterprises and public organizations in large cities were active in constructing high-rise residential buildings. At that time, not only the quantity but also the quality of apartments under construction started to be appreciated, as well as their conformity to the relevant hygiene requirements. Due to this, a lot of people were able to settle in their own apartments not far from their places of work, in better conditions.

In the 1920s the city commissioned architect Zbigniew Rzepecki to design a project of a model building. A plot for a big four-storied complex was allocated on modern Henerala Hrekova street 8, in the neighborhood of Pidzamche, known in the city as a workers' district. The parcel was bordered on one side by the railway and a square, where a cattle market had been situated, and by barracks from the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the west. The apartments were minimal: one room with a kitchen and a toilet. Obviously, the main goal was to provide apartments for as many people as possible.

The architect designed two versions of the façades, but due to the lack of sufficient funds the authorities chose an extremely puristic design. The building's only decoration is the main entrance from the side of the square: an arched gate placed in a two-storied volume and leading to a through passage. The project was approved in 1928; the construction started in the same year.