Tenement House Under Gutenberg in Łódź

The Gutenberg Tenement, located at 86 Piotrkowska Street in Łódź, is a historic building constructed in 1896 on the commission of Jan Petersilge, designed by architects Kazimierz Pomian-Sokołowski and Franciszek Chełmiński. The building features an eclectic architectural style, combining elements of Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau, with a richly ornamented façade adorned with leaves, flowers, cherubs, wreaths, and a statue of Johannes Gutenberg placed in a central niche. Before World War I, the building was an important cultural hub, housing the editorial office of Łódź’s oldest newspaper, "Lodzer Zeitung," the elegant "Louvre" restaurant, a dental clinic, and a dental school. After the outbreak of the war, the newspaper’s editorial office was closed and replaced by other publishing ventures. During the interwar period, the tenement served as the headquarters of the National Party, and in World War II, it was used as the command center of the German 8th Army. In the 1970s, the building, once considered the most beautiful tenement in Łódź, fell into disrepair, and inadequate renovation attempts only worsened its condition. It was not until 2011 that a comprehensive renovation was carried out, restoring its former glory and uncovering original details, such as fruit garlands painted on the pediment. The tenement is listed in the register of historic monuments and constitutes a significant part of Łódź’s architectural heritage. In a cultural context, it is worth mentioning the activities of the Club of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers, which operated the Adres Gallery in the building’s basement from 1972 to 1973. The building is not only an important landmark in Łódź but also a symbol of the city’s historical and artistic transformations.