The Warsaw Badeni palace

Abstract

The non-existent Badeni palace, situated on today’s Krasiński Square, was regarded as one of the most imposing residences of 19th century Warsaw. The structure, which may be counted among the best works of architect Andrzej Gołoński, has not yet been the subject of a more thorough scholarly examination, even it there exist prolific references to it in literature. The present paper constitutes the first attempt at complete description of the building’s construction process, basing on various written and iconographic sources, to a large extent never before used. The circumstances of decision concerning erection of the palace, design conceptions, and the very building activities are researched; furthermore, an analysis of style characteristics and motifs employed by the architect is offered, including the identification of his inspirations. The discussion is rounded off with an evaluation of artistic qualities of the edifice against the background of Warsaw architecture of the period.

One important aspect of the palace’s erection and its later reconstructions is that they should be interpreted in the urban context of their time and judged accordingly. For Gołoński, it was necessary to take into account some non-artistic conditions, namely, the spatial regulations of the square on which the building was to be situated, not devoid of political and ideological aspects. Such a research perspective enabled the author to verify some erroneous opinions functioning in earlier writing on the subject, as well as elevate the significance of the edifice in the architect’s professional oeuvre.