Vul. Hnatiuka, 5-7 – a music school (former residential building)

ID: 2463

This former apartment house was adapted for an educational establishment (a music school for children). It was constructed in 1876–1877, designed by an architect Felix Księżarski. The Neo-Renaissance building was built in the center of Lviv. Due to its style and planning layout, it is a typical example of architecture of the 1870s. The double house number implies that after a reconstruction (1914) two separate townhouses were connected into one block.

History

The house with the double number 5–7 on the present day Hnatiuka street (former ul. Jagellońska) was built on the site allocated in 1875 from the real estate of the English Hotel and Majerowka (realność Hotelu Angielskiego i Majerówki) . It was a large parcel that belonged to the community of the city of Lviv as of mid 19^th c.

The above mentioned real estate covered the north corner of the quarter, between the streets Jagellońska, Majerowska (presently vul. Sichovykh Striltsiv), Kostiushka and Sykstuska (vul. Doroshenka). In order to further sell it, it was divided into two smaller parcels (conscription #133 2/4 and #134 2/4). They were put out for bids on August, 24, 1875 and acquired by the Galician Credit Bank (Galicyjski Bank Kredytowy) (DALO 2/1/2847:120-124).

Next year, intending to develop the newly acquired plot the management of the bank commissioned architect Felix Księżarski to prepare designs of three buildings — the future #3, 5 and 7 on ul. Jagellońska. The projects were adopted by the resolution of the magistrate of July, 22, 1876. The construction works were completed in the end of the next year (the permit for taking up residence of the house #3 was issued by city authorities on October, 6; for #5 and #7 — on December, 24, 1877) (DALO 2/1/2847:52,55,63; DALO 2/1/2853:36,44,46, 48).

The house #3 on ul. Jagellońska has not been preserved to this day. It was dismantled on the eve of the First World War. The townhouse #5 and #7 passed into ownership of the princess Helena Sanguszko (DALO 2/1/2847:63) even before the construction works completed. Over a short time, in 1879, the princess Sanguszko implemented a reconstruction of the first floor in the house #7 introducing a coffee-shop and a confectionery. At the time, the building was assigned with a new conscription No 851 2/4 (DALO 2/1/2853:59).

Documents of the further reconstruction of 1904 record the name of a new owner, princess Tereza Sapiega (Sapieżyna) (DALO 2/1/2853:61). Later, in the early 1910s, the house passed ownership to Stanisław and Elżbieta Sokołowski.

On April, 2, 1914, the Sokołowski received a magistrate's consent to fundamentaly reconstruct their houses. In particular, a replacement of two separate staircases with a new front staircase to be shared by the two houses was planned. So, in fact, the two houses were connected into one block. It also explains the double number 5–7. The respective project was developed by an architect and Ferdynand Kassler (DALO 2/1/2853:2,42,49,51,57). The archive documents of the interwar period mention Elżbieta Sokołowska as the owner of the townhouse until the 1930s (DALO 2/1/2853:11,34).

As of today, major part of the building is occupied by two specialized educational establishments, Lviv music schools for children #1 and #6. They share some internal space of the 2–4 floors. Spacious apartments of the old tenant townhouse were duly adapted to suit classroom needs. The premises of large commercial areas on the first floor host several stores.

Architecture

A four-storey building is located in a central part of Lviv, on the corner site adjacent to the crossroads of vul. Hnatiuka and vul. Sichovykh Striltsiv, nearby prosp. Svobody, the former Hetman Ramparts (Wały Hetmańskie). It has two front angle wise façades — a longer north façade with eight window axes, on the side of vul. Hnatiuka, and a shorter north-west four axes one, on the side of vul. Sichovykh Striltsiv. There is a three window trihedral corner block between them. The body of the townhouse is included into the quarter's perimeter, its façades border with the sidewalks.

The façades' composition has a quite static character, it is dominated by horizontal divisions — cornices divide the façades into four tiers. On the upper floors level, there are rows of uniform windows with simple trimmings and small cornices. The lower storey is filled with large display windows of commercial premises, and entrance portals. Below the window openings of the second and third storeys, there are small relief panels, between the windows on the top floor there are pairs of pilasters with Corinthian capitals. Entablature on the façade's top has consoles, and there is a balustrade above it. The corner part of the building is covered by an octagonal hipped roof which is a dominating feature of the exterior, which enlivens the building's sillhouette. Decorative details are used quite modestly. Neo-Renaissance-style moldings play the major role in the building's décor, this is typical of the 1870s architecture.

The building site has a pentagonal shape. The base of the building's block (its north part) is made of two wings unfolded angle wise adjacent with their fronts to vul. Hnatiuka and vul. Sichovykh Striltsiv. Behind them, at the back of the land plot, there is an enclosed courtyard confined on the south with the triple knee of a side wing (its blind rear wall can be seen from the nearby courtyard, from vul. Hnatiuka, 3).

The frontal block has two rows of apartments in its layout, while the side wing has one. Interior communications are based on mixed enfilade corridor scheme. Main staircase and the entrance hall are located in the northern block, with the entrance through the arched doorway from the side of vul. Hnatiuka. There is an other portal on the corner. It also has an arch shaped opening and serves as an entrance to a store. It is flanked with a pair of Doric columns and small oval windows.

Personalities

Ferdynand Kassler — architect, developer.
Felix Księżarski — architect.
Helena Sanguszko — princess, owner of the house.
Tereza Sapiega (Sapieżyna) — princess, owner of the house.
Elżbieta Sokołowska — owner of the house.
Stanisław Sokołowski — owner of the house.

Sources

1. State Archive of Lviv Oblast (DALO 2/1/2847).
2. DALO 2/1/2853.

By Ihor Zhuk

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