Dom Egipski w Krakowie, Modern architecture house at Retoryka and Smoleńsk streets intersection, Kraków, Poland
Dom Egipski is a corner house at the intersection of Retoryka and Smoleńsk streets in Kraków, built from 1893 to 1896 as a residence for a stonework business owner. The structure features paired street entrances with wooden doors that retain lotus-stem carvings from the original design.
Completed in 1896, the house received early modernist alterations during the late 1920s and early 1930s that reshaped its appearance. These changes reflect how residential architecture in Kraków adapted to contemporary aesthetic movements of the period.
The structure received its name from the Egyptian-inspired decorations that once adorned its facade, including sphinxes, pharaohs, obelisks, pylons, and deity reliefs.
The corner location at Retoryka 10-12 and Smoleńsk 10-12 in Kraków's First District makes it straightforward to visit on foot. The building sits within walking distance of other cultural venues, so it works well as part of a broader neighborhood exploration.
Sculptor Alojzy Bunsch, a professor at the State Industrial School, made this house his home between 1896 and 1914, bringing his artistic practice with him. His son Karol, who would later become a historian and writer, was born here during those years.
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