Hala Koszyki

Hala Koszyki was built in 1906-1909 by Juliusz Dzierzanowski as a Secession-style market hall with an iron and glass structure and brick pavilions at the corners, and it worked as a market through most of the twentieth century. After 2009 most of it was taken down, apart from the two side wings and the northern wall, and from 2012 it was rebuilt to a design by JEMS Architekci with the original structural ironwork built back in, reopening in October 2016 as a food hall: a long central space under the iron roof with communal tables, ringed by two levels of small restaurants, bars, a butcher and a wine merchant, with offices in the new sections behind. It is busy, loud and expensive by Warsaw standards, and it is one of the places the city's restaurant scene is visible in one room. Whether the reconstruction counts as preservation is a live argument in Warsaw architectural circles.

History

By the end of the 19th century Warsaw's growth called for a large covered market, and Hala Koszyki was built from 1906 to 1908 and finished in March 1909. Its name comes from the wicker used to strengthen the Lubomirski Ramparts, raised in 1770-1771 along today's Koszykowa Street; the central hall was 77 m long and 27 m wide, the hall was restored to its original appearance in 1949 and listed as a heritage object in 1965, and after its redevelopment it reopened in October 2016 (Wikipedia, Koszyki Hall).

What to look for

• Restored iron and glass - the 1909 structure kept through the rebuild.
• Secession pavilions - the corner brick buildings at the entrances.
• Two levels of kitchens - small restaurants and bars around a communal hall.
• A contested reconstruction - how much of the original survives is argued over.

When to go

All year. Two hours.

What to expect

It is a modern food hall, not a market - prices are high and it is packed on Friday and Saturday evenings. Seating is communal and noisy. Much of the fabric is new despite the appearance.

Nearby

Politechnika and the Lazienki park are south; the centre is north.