Kamienica Emila Wedla w Warszawie, Eclectic house on Szpitalna Street, Warsaw, Poland
Kamienica Emila Wedla is a four-story residential building at Szpitalna 8A in central Warsaw, listed on the Polish cultural heritage register. Its facade is covered with pilasters, floral ornaments, and acanthus leaf motifs that frame the balconies in the eclectic style of the late 19th century.
The building was completed in 1893 to designs by architect Franciszek Brauman. Emil Wedel, the confectioner who gave the building its name, ran a chocolate factory in the rear wing until production moved elsewhere in the 1930s.
The ground-floor chocolate shop drew Polish writers and artists who used to meet there in the early 20th century. Today it still operates as a confectionery, and visitors can sit inside and enjoy hot chocolate in the same setting that once attracted Warsaw intellectuals.
The building is in central Warsaw and easy to reach on foot from the main streets of the city center. The chocolate shop on the ground floor is open to visitors and offers a chance to step inside and look around while enjoying a drink or a sweet.
Warsaw residents nicknamed the building the chocolate box because of its densely decorated facade, though public opinion on its appearance was divided. Some found the ornamental style excessive, which made it a talking point in the city at the time of its construction.
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