One of the tenement houses undergoing renovation as part of the city’s nearly PLN 300 million City Center Revitalization project, launched in 2017. As part of the project, over 20 tenement houses in the city center will undergo renovations, and often even changes to their facades, including as many as 15 on Włókiennicza Street (formerly Kamienna Street). The project envisaged “artistic forms” being created on the facades of the renovated buildings, often in a postmodern style, which has been met with widespread criticism from residents and the architectural community in Łódź (“outdated aesthetics,” “kitsch,” “trash”). Łódź City Hall is not disclosing the authors of the individual designs for the new facades.

The designer of the 19th-century tenement house on Włókiennicza Street was Włókiennicza 15 was designed by Hilary Majewski (city architect, 1838-1892). The effect of its revitalization is presented on the official website of the City of Lodz (rewitalizacja.uml.lodz.pl): “The building was completely renovated and modernized. Its facade became the basis for an artistic installation. The result was a geometric composition combining the reconstruction of the original architectural details with modern materials and bright colors. The courtyard was surfaced with cobblestones. There was also room for a small playground and green areas – with a lawn, shrubs and trees. The building housed 12 municipal apartments and 2 commercial premises for rent.”