Warsaw. The grand return of Cepelia's former pavilion. "Empic" store is opened

Epic in former Sepelia. Opening soon

Source: tvnwarszawa.pl

On Friday, December 13, life will return to the former Cepelia pavilion at the corner of Marchalkowska and Aleje Jerozolimskie. Empik chain opens its flagship store here. During the renovation, which lasted less than a year, the building underwent a phenomenal metamorphosis and got its original appearance, typical of late modernism.

The Cepelia Pavilion was built on the basis of the design of the famous architect Zygmunt Stepinski. His works are a symbol of Warsaw, created from the ruins. Architect for, among others: for the reconstruction of Novi Šviat, together with the project of the residential area of Marsalkowska and the WZ route. A plan for the Hotel Metropole, next door to Cepelia, was also made on his drawing table.

Ceramics, textiles and furniture

The structure of the pavilion consisted of a light steel frame and an almost entirely glass facade, which made the first floor float in the air. The entire project is based on the concept of commercial and service buildings that merge with the street.

The part of the facade on the side of the hotel, which was not glazed, was covered with handmade turquoise ceramic tiles. They were decorated with geometric shapes, which made each of them unique.

In May 1966, i.e. after its opening, the following was written about the Zepeliya pavilion in the “Stolica” weekly.

“In the central point of the city, at the intersection of Marchalkowska Street and Yerosolimskie Street, at the intersection of Marchalkowska Street and Yerozolimskie Street, last month, the largest exhibition and trade pavilion in the country “Sepelia” was opened. Symbolically cutting the ribbon was the head of the presidium N. of the capital, Janusz Zarzitsi with regional clothes 9 pavilions on the first floor of the exhibition, furniture, sculptures and miniatures. Also on the first floor there is a section of regional fabrics and ceramic products: from miniatures of animals and dolls, to various plates, trays and trays, beautiful furniture, various chairs, chairs, chests, etc., based on folk patterns were made by craftsmen”, writes the weekly.

Cepelia building in 1971

Source: Grażyna Rutowska / National Digital Archives

The arts dominated the ground and first floors of the building for decades to come. After the 90s, came political and economic changes and with them the dissolution of Cepelia. Tenants entered and exited the pavilion one after the other. The facade of the building was also changed. It was covered with a terrible orange coating, and the building itself became a “hanger” of advertising. There was a screen on the roof where they were shown. There was also a public debt calculator by Leszek Balcerowicz. In turn, the unique ceramic tiles have been covered with daubs and graffiti over the years.

For several years, the building has been empty and fell into ruins. In 2019, it was included in the list of monuments. In January 2024, due to the condition of the structure, the Conservator of Monuments of Masovian Voivodeship ordered urgent conservation and construction works. Repairs began soon, but for several months the mystery of who the investor was. The cards were unveiled in May when it was announced that Empik would be moving into the pavilion.

Types of nature protection

On Thursday, December 12, journalists could visit the pavilion ready for opening. He gave tours around the restored building, among others. Radoslav Gaida, architect, urban planner and co-author of the video blog about architecture and art “Architecture is a good idea”.

– This unique place, the last modernist pavilion, preserved in such a condition that it can be found at a price that determined its inclusion in the list of monuments. During the tedious and difficult repair, we managed to restore it to the appearance that its creator, Zygmunt Stepinsky, imagined about 60 years ago, – said Radoslav Gaida.

The architect noted that the original features of the pavilion have been recreated. One of them is a zigzag, glass facade. – It was an expression of architectural expression and encouragement to look inside and admire the displayed goods. Gajda noted that it was not only a commercial pavilion, but also an exhibition pavilion. Outside, not only the facade, but also the so-called small architecture was restored. It is made of terrazzo according to conservation guidelines.

Turquoise tiles were also completely restored. The ceramic element connects the interior and exterior of the building. The mosaics can be viewed both inside and outside the building by the Metropole Hotel.

When standing in front of the pavilion, you can also pay attention to the mast. As it turns out, this structure was originally designed by Zygmunt Stepinski, but was realized 58 years later. The flag of new workers will be raised soon.

There is more information about nature protection in the renovated pavilion. On the first floor, there was a piece of old metal, on which there was a special neon sign with a rooster – a special sign of Zepelia. The neon itself was dismantled many years ago, but now it has been rebuilt according to the outline written on the metal sheet. Thanks to the glass facade, the glowing rooster can be seen in the evening from Novogrodzka Street.

A redesigned neon sign with a distinctive rooster

Source: tvnwarszawa.pl

Originally, Cepelia's commercial stands were located on the ground and first floors. There was a warehouse in the basement. At the beginning of the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century, there was a Ferment pub here. Empik used this space for commercial purposes. As Radoslav Gaida explained, the floor had to be deepened by several tens of centimeters.

1300 square meters, 35 thousand products

In the basement of the pavilion there is an area where meetings with authors, concerts, premieres of books and albums, autograph sessions are held. Inside: a small stage, 100 seats for spectators and technical options for online broadcasting.

The new store has about 35,000 items on its shelves. product. More than half of them are books. On the first floor, there are bookshelves along with toys and board games. There, in the corner facing the Dmovsky roundabout, there is a reading corner with a sofa and a table with a high chair for working on the computer. The first floor has stationery, creative and gift wrapping supplies. There is also a corner of newspapers and a shelf of books about Warsaw and souvenirs. In the basement, in addition to the aforementioned club, there are music shelves with a wide selection of CDs, vinyl records and musical gadgets. Record holders are also shown. There are cash registers and self-service cash registers on each level. The total area of the store is 1300 square meters.