‘Piękny Wrocław’ competition continues the tradition of past contests. Its roots can be found in ‘Mister Wrocławia’ competition, with its outset dating back to the 1960s, within which future gems of Wrocław architecture were awarded, including Trzonolinowiec, which was entered into the Register of monuments just a few days ago. Back to the present day, within the ‘Piękny Wrocław’, the Grand Prix award was given to Afrykarium which operates as part of the Wrocław ZOO. In the current form, the competition is organized by the City Mayor of Wrocław, alongside Towarzystwo Miłośników Wrocławia. This year, as part of the 32nd edition of the competition, the jury chose winners from among eighty facilities.
Former Leipziger Palace
The palace was built in the period of 1872-1874, by Ignatz Leipziger, a Jewish banker. It emerged on a plot of land previously occupied by a horse riding school. At first, it had an access ramp for horse-drawn carriages, most likely a caroche, which the then owner got off, and directly entered a presentable staircase, made in the style of Pompeian painting. Further up, one could find a horse stable to where horses were taken. The building was designed and erected in a truly palace-like style. It has multiple functional solutions, and above all, a richness of patterns and details. It was designed by Karl Schmidt, a renowned architect, who authored numerous vital Wrocław-based projects – e.g. the Wrocław Opera reconstruction, or Wzgórze Partyzantów development. Several years upon erection, Leipziger sold the building to the Poviat Office (Kreisausschuss). Until 1945, the building served administrative functions, and after the WWII, for many years housed the head office of Geological Enterprise Proxima.1, which used it also for office purposes. In 2016, the building was purchased by Torus, a developer company from Gdańsk, which decided to restore it, and adapt it to a modern, five-star hotel.
New life, former glory
As a result of three years of conservation works, beautiful architectural details in the Renaissance and Baroque style were unveiled, and later restored. Precious valuable stucco and representative stairs have been preserved, along with some historic carpentry, parquet floors inlaid with exotic wood, and wainscotting. A considerable number of stone façade details were uncovered, chief amongst them, an all-stone bay window of the ballroom on the south façade. Additionally, an original Baroque ceiling, built in the 1920’s, has regained its former glory. Ceilings with stucco decorations were painted monochromatically, and subsequently, the most decorative details were highlighted with a separate colour to underline their form. Throughout a detailed stratigraphic inquest, the places of original gilding were recognized, and then gilded with a great deal of 24-carat gold leaves. The thorough restoration of the building was conducted under the supervision of the Municipal Monument Preservationist. The historic interiors were restored preserving the historical, original elements, with gaps and deficiencies filled in numerous cases. The facility has also been enriched with tastefully selected modern arrangements, giving it a contemporary character. The subtle combination of over 150-year-old architecture with modern décor creates a unique and elegant atmosphere of the hotel.
Spending night in palace
Altus Palace is managed by Grupa Dobry Hotel, an experienced operator that runs a network of hotels in various locations across Poland. The hotel houses 81 comfortable rooms and suites, whose historic interiors were combined with modern design. There is also a restaurant, bar, and conference room in the facility. Hotel guests can unwind in a wellness jacuzzi zone, or dry and wet sauna, and take advantage of relaxation and care treatments. Those who want to keep up with their daily workout routines have also been taken care of – they have a well-equipped gym at their disposal.
The building’s restorative architectural design was prepared by Archikon, an architectural studio from Wrocław, with Studio LOFT Magdalena Adamus responsible for the interior designing.
