History
The Artistic Tenement House at 22 Białostocka Street is one of the most beautiful tenement houses in Warsaw. It has been renovated with particular care and now there are mingling places inside office and atmospheric art studios. The history of this place begins with its founding by Mikołaj Karol Bruno of the iron goods store “J.D. Münkenbeck ”on ul. Bielańska. They dealt in selling iron products, repairing typewriters and clocks electric. The company passed from one generation of the Brun family to the next. In 1829 the name was changed to “K. Weichert and Brun”, and in 1852 to “Krzysztof Brun and Son”. The company developed so well that after World War I it had branches in all provincial cities. In 1928, the company was already called “Spółka Akcyjna Handlu Towarami Żelaznymi Krzysztof Brun i Son S.A” Most likely, the five-story office building at 22 Białostocka Street has been built around the 1920s. The body of the building is quite simple, and the façade is decorated with red brick and decorated with a cordon cornice made of decoratively arranged bricks.
II World War
The war hit hard on the company’s finances.All the stores in Warsaw that were established by the Brun family were demolished or burned down, the building at 22 Białostocka Street remained. The company’s headquarters was moved here and it operated until 1950, until the building was taken over by the state.The building housed flats for employees and nationalized companies.The warehouses next to the building were demolished and built in their placeblocks of flats.The hall in the yard burned down in the 70’s.An interesting fact is that a secret printing house of Solidarity operated here during the martial law.
Currently
W 2002 roku, Białostocka 22 wróciła do rodziny Brunów i zaczęto remontować budynek.Właściciele odnawiając budynek zadbali o to, by zachować jej charakter zostawiając drewniane schody, drzwi, klatki oraz elewację. Zostało zachowanych wiele historycznych reliktów, które przypominają o niesamowitej przeszłości kamienicy.
Obecnie wyremontowana kamienica funkcjonuję jako „Kamienica Artystycza”, w której można wynająć lokale biurowe, a artyści chętnie zakładają tam swoje pracownie.
