...

Vul. Bohomoltsia, 15 – residential building

ID: 49

A three-storied townhouse at the corner of Bohomoltsia and Klionovycha streets was built in 1907-1908 under a project designed by architect Julian Cybulski for doctor Józef Gracka; apart from the latter’s apartment and apartments for rent, there was also his consulting room there. The house is an example of the early Modernist residential townhouse of the first decade of the 20th century, decorated in the Historicist style with some Secession (Art Nouveau) elements. Joachim Schall, a cinema entrepreneur who was well known in Lviv, lived here in the 1930s. Today (2014) the building is occupied, except residential apartments, by the Honorary Consulate of the United Mexican States and by a travel agency office. 

History

The building’s plot was formed in 1904, when Bohomoltsia (then Adama Asnyka) street was laid and the area, where an old villa and gardens had been located (its old address was Pańska street 5 or conscription number 508 4/4), was parcelled for housing development. The plot was owned by Klementyna Witosławska, née Bochdan.

The plot of the contemporary house number 15 was bought by internal diseases specialist, doctor Józef Gracka and his wife Janina. Later the parcel was assigned a new conscription number 974 4/4. The project of the couple’s townhouse was designed by architect Julian Cybulski. Initially, in May of 1907, the project was not approved because ​​the inner courtyard area was too small and this did not meet current building specifications. After several changes were made in the project, the building permit was granted in the following month. Additional drafts were approved in June of the following year; the construction was finished around that time too (DALO 2/1/133: 1-2, 10).

The Grackas, probably, owned the house till 1939, though they had moved to an apartment in another building (Skorowidz, 1913; Księga adresowa, 1935-1936). Joachim Schall, a well known Lviv cinema entrepreneur and an owner of cinemas, including "Grażyna", "Atlantic", and "Sztuka", rented an apartment in the house for a while  (Skorowidz, 1932).

Today the building is occupied mostly by residential apartments. The Honorary Consulate of the United Mexican States and a travel agency office function in the ground floor premises.

Related Stories

Architecture

The house is located at the corner of Bohomoltsia and Klionovycha streets. This residential townhouse is typical of the first decade of the 20th century, when houses were designed already connected to the water supply, sanitation, and electricity networks. Due to the small size of the plot this townhouse consists only of a front building and has no wings. Living and utility premises are separated: the former overlook the street while the latter face the courtyard or have no natural lighting. In general, the architectural solution of this townhouse is similar to that of the house number 10 located across the street. Together, these townhouses create a smooth transition between the architecture styles of the two streets: the traditional Historicism of Klionovycha street and the modern Secession of Bohomoltsia street. The townhouse was owned by a doctor, and several premises in his second floor apartment served as his waiting and consulting rooms. The rest of the building was occupied by apartments that were rented.

The building has three stories and basements. It is built of brick and plastered. The basements are covered with Klein vaults; the bridgings between the floors are supported by metal beams. The attic floor is wooden. The roof’s wooden structure of rafters and posts is now covered partly with tin and partly with slate plates. Originally, the roof was tiled; a fragment of that roofing has been preserved above the bay window.

The total area of the ​​parcel is 381 sq. m., of which the courtyard occupies only 45 sq. m. (13%). It was  only due to the fact that it is connected to the courtyard of the neighbouring house number 11a, that this project was approved as an exception. According to the original project, there were two apartments on each floor of the house. The ground floor was occupied by a three-room apartment and a five-room apartment. In both, living rooms face the street while utility premises overlook the courtyard or have no natural lighting. The second floor was initially occupied by the apartment of the owner, who was a doctor, an internal diseases specialist, and practised at home, so there were also a waiting room and a consulting room in the apartment.

The spatial solution of the building is dominated by a cut corner accentuated by a rectangular bay. The façades are asymmetrical. The building’s style is restrained, combining elements of the Neoclassicism and Secession. The rusticated ground floor is separated from the upper floors by a bar. The second and third floors are divided by rusticated lesenes with moulded garlands at their tops. The windows have shaped trimmings and linear pediments. The east façade balconies are supported by consoles decorated with stucco; however, their forged railing belongs to the Neoclassicist style and has typical garlands. The entryway and staircase floor is covered with ceramic tiles having a flower ornament on them; reinforced concrete stairs with a metal railing have been preserved.

According to the original project, the building was to have much more decorations in the style of ornamental Secession, but this plan has not been implemented.  Today the ground floor premises have been reconstructed, a window on each street façade has been rearranged as a door, an external staircase has been added. Also a part of windows have been replaced, as well as the roofing.

Related Places

Description

Vul. Bohomoltsia, 09 – Lviv Oblast Prosecutor Office (former residence)

Show full description
Description

Vul. Bohomoltsia, 11 – residential building

Show full description

Personalities

Z. Vaynshteyn – a resident of the house in 1946
Bronisław Czarnik, dr – an employee of National Ossoliński Institute's library, resident of the house in 1910
V. S. Radich– a resident of the house in 1940
H. Newlińska – a physician, resident of the house in 1932
Henryk Messuta – an apothecary, resident of the house in 1932
Ernestyna Citronenblatt – a co-owner of the building 
Zygmunt Kamiński, dr– a podpolkovnik (lieutenant colonel), a resident of the house in 1932  
I. A. Kalinichenko – resident of the house in 1946
I. S. Klitsenko – resident of the house in 1946
Izrael Frankel, dr – a lawyer candidate, resident of the house in 1910
Kazimierz Kiełbusiewicz – an employee of the Crown Land's Bank, resident of the house in 1910 Kazimierz Czarnik, dr – a lawyer, member of the Chamber of Lawyers, resident of the house in 1910
Karol Podlaszecki – a lawyer, member of the Chamber of Lawyers, resident of the house in 1910
Klementyna z Bochdanów Witosławska – an owner of the building plot
P. P. Cherenkov – a resident of the house in 1946
Rudolf Chruszczewski – a merchant, resident of the house in 1914
Tadeusz Wereszczycki – an engineer, resident of the house in 1932  
Cecylia Ellinowa – a tailoress, resident of the house in 1932
Józef Gracka, dr – a physician specializing in internal diseases, co-owner of the building
Julian Cybulski – architect who designed the house
Jakub Citronenblatt – co-owner of the house
Jan Zakrzewski – a lawyer, resident of the house in 1910
Janina Gracka – co-owner of the house

Interview

Sources

  1. State Archive of Lviv Oblast (DALO) 2/1/133: 1-2, 10.
  2. Informator lwowski, 1932.
  3. Ksiega adresowa krolewskiego stolecznego miasta Lwowa, 1914.
  4. Lewicki Jakub, Między tradycją a nowoczesnością: Architektura Lwowa lat 1893–1918 (Warsaw: Towarzystwo Opieki nad Zabytkami, Wydawnictwo Neriton, 2005), 258-260.
  5. Skorowidz krolewskiego stolecznego miasta Lwowa, (Lemberg, 1910).
  6. Skorowidz krolewskiego stolecznego miasta Lwowa, (Lwow, 1920).
  7. Wykaz domów na obszarze miasta Lwowa, Księga adresowa Małopołski (Lwów, Stanisławów, Tarnopól, Rocznik 1935/1936), 2.


Material compiled by Iryna KotlobulatovaKhrystyna KharchukOlha Zarechnyuk