2 Jana Matejki Street in Katowice, Art Nouveau tenement house in Katowice, Poland.
The Art Nouveau tenement house at 2 Jana Matejki Street in Katowice is a brick building with an irregular shape, four gables and a bay window facing Plac Wolności. It has four above-ground floors and one underground, with five axes on the ground floor and six on the upper floors. The ground floor is clad in clinker brick, the upper floors are plastered, and the roof is double-pitched with mansard windows and ceramic tiles.
Built in 1905 in the Art Nouveau style, the building first housed the Directorate of the Narrow-Gauge Railway. On 17 June 1988 it was entered in the monument register under number A/1369/88 together with the neighbouring house at No. 4. In 2006 the exterior facade was renovated, and a later restoration by the Konior company recreated the geometric ornaments on the elevation.
The building displays early 20th-century Polish residential architecture with its mansard roof and mix of clinker brick at ground level combined with plastered upper floors. This material choice was common to provide durability below while creating a more refined appearance above for the living spaces.
The building sits in a central urban location and is easily visible from the street. Visitors can view the facade from outside, and a walk around the surrounding streets helps appreciate the architectural details from different angles.
The entrance arch was removed in 1971 and restored in 1992 during the basement adaptation for commercial use. This restoration shows how the building was adjusted for modern needs while preserving its key architectural features.
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