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Paweł Starzec

Documentalist, sociologist, academic teacher.

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Default City is a conventionally pejorative term for the Polish capital in everyday language. Warsaw's default attitude seems to reflect the assumption that if something happens, it's always there, so there's no point even mentioning the city's name. I used to be someone whom Warsaw itself calls equally pejoratively. According to the University of Warsaw Linguistic Observatory, the definition of a "jar" is "a young person from a small town who settles in Warsaw, to study or work." The word comes from the name of a glass vessel – a jar – in which people so referred to bring food after visiting their family home. I have been living in Warsaw for over a decade and have tried to closely observe its mannerisms and changes. This is the first attempt to gather these smaller stories into one larger one.

Chapters: I II III IV V

2013 – ongoing.

"Another project will be built here", developer's advertising board at the site of the planned housing estate, Warsaw-Ursynów, 2014

Development

Development is a series of case studies on Polish urbanised and/or inhabited space, with a goal to get answers about the shape of post-1989, post-transformation Poland. It’s not a way to ridicule the most bizarre cases of spatial design and architecture, but rather an attempt to understand what came out of the turn – new actors, aesthetics that once seemed extravagantly new. What gave the impression of newer, richer, bolder times to come? Project is loosely structured around themes such as the architecture of the 1990s, reprivatisation, urban sprawl, and the rising influence of private equity and developers, and looks at space not only as something inhabited, but as a site of profit, speculation, and power. The question is not simply what was built, but why – what political, economic, and social logics allowed these forms to materialise. Instead of finger-pointing at appearances, I’m more interested in the reasoning and the mechanisms that made them possible.

2017 – ongoing.

One of the heirs to a pre-war property near the Palace of Culture and Science, Tadeusz Koss, frustrated by city restrictions preventing construction on his reprivatised parcel – originally reclaimed under the controversial Bierut Decree – transformed the plot into a chaotic cluster of makeshift food stalls. The area, featuring bistros and kebab stands, eventually included a decommissioned airplane turned into a restaurant, which violated urban regulations. After public outcry, the city cleared the site. This case is an exemplary of a broader reprivatisation scandal connected to the Bierut Decree and often described as a criminal enterprise. The cleared site eventually became the pathway to the new Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN).

Warszawa, Osiecka/Jarocińska street. A privately invested expansion on a pre-war tenant house in one of a few parts of the city that were left more or less intact after WW2, and slowly face the fate of future investment prospect for development.

Twarda 30/32. One of the first tenant houses in downtown Warsaw built after the financial and political transformation of 1989 to be enlisted for demolition due to the expansion of office skyscrapers. The current owner deems both buildings "simply too small to use the potential of the parcel".

Biggest DIY spot for skaters in Warsaw, located inside an unfinished shopping mall under the Poniatowski bridge across the Vistula river. The spot is considered breach of construction law, and there talks held between city officials and skaters to set the situation and preserve the spot met with no resolution. it was partially demolished in 2023, when the renovations of the bridge begun.

Located near one of the main transport interlinks in downtown Warsaw, Czarny Kot hotel gained notoriety as the most famous of unauthorized constructions in Poland. For over twenty years, tenants of the property at Okopowa 65 have been expanding the building without permissions, taking advantage of a loophole in law – each subsequent extension requires starting demolition procedures from the beginning. The hotel – at first a two-story pavilion – became a symbol of breaking building laws, but it was only the investment boom in the area that allowed the city to bring to an end legal procedures related to the demolition of arbitrariness. The hotel was closed, and eventually torn down by the municipality.

Built in 1994/95, the three blocks on Dudziarska street were designed as a temporary housing for people evicted out of social projects, and for those otherwise unable to secure living due to the income instability. The idea behind the Dudziarska project was to design the whole neighbourhood in a manner supporting the notion to escape poverty; the virtual inaccessibility of Dudziarska street, located on the literal other side of tracks behind the huge railway depot in the middle of nowhere was thought about as a stimulus to motivate tenants to improve their material situation as quickly as possible, and move out of the estate. In addition, to ensure order, some of the apartments were allocated to the quarters for police employees who were supposed to watch the neighbourhood after hours. An isolated location, requiring illegal crossing of railway tracks or traveling around a rarely-circuiting bus (the line was launched only in 2007, after many years of district council efforts), together with the character of the estate in effect caused total ghettoisation, thus effectively preventing residents from any attempt to get out of the situation causing their relocation, and stigmatising them. The temporary nature of the buildings, designed without central heating, requires additional heating with electric heaters, which creates a spiral of indebtedness to the electricity supplier – the cost of heating per month can equal the cost of rent for a room in the city centre, if not even exceed it. As part of social and cultural activities for the residents of the project, cultural activists organised an event of painting the walls with works of contemporary painting, with the Black Square of Kazimierz Malewicz on the wall facing the street in all three buildings. The inhabitants perceived this action as an additional stigmatisation. In 2017, the city authorities admitted the absolute failure of the Dudziarska project, and announced a gradual abandonment of the estate and its demolition or change of character.

The former building of Hoffman High School at Emilii Plater street. The high school, one of the best schools in the city, was moved in 2013, and its building - a modernist project from 1961 - was to be demolished, so that the city could sell a plot of land to a private investor for development with a skyscraper. The spatial plan for this plot - located in the close vicinity of the tallest buildings in the capital - was repealed by the voivode in 2015, and finally there were no buyers willing to buy the site for 210 million PLN. The buildings was declared historic, and one of them was designated by the city for the temporary location of the Komuna Warsaw theater, whose building was urgently decommissioned due to structural defects.

The complex of 90 houses on Jazdów was built in 1945 as the first housing estate in post-war Warsaw intended for housing employees of the Office for the Reconstruction of the Capital (BOS). The wooden houses were part of the Soviet Union's first aid package for the destroyed city, and came from war reparations that Finland was forced to pay to the Soviet Union after World War II.

In 2011, the mayor of the Śródmieście district, Wojciech Bartelski, took action to demolish the houses as they were inappropriate for such a prestigious location. In 2015, the district withdrew these plans after protests. In 2024, several of the approximately 20 houses were inhabited. The rest were made available by the Śródmieście District Office to various NGOs.

Bliska Wola Tower, a 95-meter-high residential complex in Warsaw's Wola district, is located on the site of the former VIS Factory, a historic producer of tools, machines, and munitions. The tower, developed by J.W. Construction, faced legal disputes over 157 units classified as hotel rooms, preventing residents from obtaining ownership documents from city authorities. Its high-density design and close proximity of windows have drawn comparisons to Hong Kong's overcrowded housing blocks, sparking criticism from urban planners and residents.

The Bliska Wola Tower estate is one of the most striking examples of the transformation of Wola – a former industrial district of Warsaw – into an office and residential district, as well as an example of the lack of a coherent policy related to housing construction and spatial planning in Poland.

FSO Warsaw Factory, Heavy Press facility. One of the few buildings left intact after FSO – biggest polish company in automotive industry – bankrupted. Most of the former factory was either razed, or soon would be. Current plan is to build residential developments in the area.

Ursus factory, Hall no. 270 (2014). Ursus agricultural vehicle production plants, dating back to the end of the 19th century, were one of the largest industrial plants in the Polish capital, located in the district bearing the name of the plant. The site of workers' strikes in 1976. After the political transformation, the plant found itself in a bad financial situation, and after gradual demise, in 2011 production in plants located in Warsaw was completely stopped. In 2021, the final closure of the company and its subsidies was announced. The plant area was sold and mostly built up in the second decade of the 21st century with housing estates. One of the last buildings of ZPC Ursus was the hall of the tractor assembly plant number 270, or rather its front part housing the museum.

Ursus factory, Hall no. 270 (2022). Ursus agricultural vehicle production plants, dating back to the end of the 19th century, were one of the largest industrial plants in the Polish capital, located in the district bearing the name of the plant. The site of workers' strikes in 1976. After the political transformation, the plant found itself in a bad financial situation, and after gradual demise, in 2011 production in plants located in Warsaw was completely stopped. In 2021, the final closure of the company and its subsidies was announced. The plant area was sold and mostly built up in the second decade of the 21st century with housing estates. One of the last buildings of ZPC Ursus was the hall of the tractor assembly plant number 270, or rather its front part housing the museum.

A complex of service pavilions on Chłodna Street – a street known mainly from another section, which during the war was located in the Warsaw Ghetto – demolished as a part of process of intense development of mainly residential buildings. The district of the so-called Bliska Wola is undergoing an intensive transformation into the office center of Warsaw.

Odolany, a district of Warsaw that, after its post-war reconstruction, was home to large industrial plants – including the Świerczewski and Waryński factories – and was also the location of one of the city's major railway junctions – has in recent years become one of the most visible examples of the ongoing shift from industrial to residential use in the Polish capital. However, the dynamic development of multi-family housing in accordance with new legal standards has meant that the estate continues to struggle with significant infrastructure problems – inadequate transport links, traffic jams, and smog. In several places, the small industrial plants remaining within the estate border residential buildings.

Osiedle Przyjaźń, originally built in 1952 to house Soviet workers constructing the Palace of Culture and Science, later became student housing in 1955, accommodating 3,000 students and faculty under the new name "Przyjaźń.". The settlement, with its wooden buildings and community facilities, remains a historic site.

Recently, tensions have arisen between residents and Warsaw city authorities after the Academy of Special Education ended lease agreements, leading to accusations of forced evictions. While the city claims it is addressing illegal occupancy, activists from the "Przyjaźń" collective accuse Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski of conducting wild evictions without court orders, alleging that officials, accompanied by police, have forcibly removed occupants, including families with children and the elderly. Legal experts suggest that bypassing judicial procedures in such matters could be deemed illegal.

This site was occupied by a former tannery, which since the late 1990s has housed music clubs crucial to the independent scene – CDQ (until 2014) and Pogłos (until 2022). The building was demolished a week after Pogłos closed to facilitate the sale of the plot to potential investors. For three years, no construction began on the site. The social cooperative that ran Pogłos closed after eighteen months of searching for another location.

The Vistula Boulevards in Warsaw are one of the city’s most popular leisure spots, known for their relaxed atmosphere and legal outdoor alcohol consumption. The area began gaining popularity especially after the opening of the Wisłostrada tunnel in 2003, which gave pedestrians better access to the riverfront. A wave of revitalization brought modern landscaping, cultural events, and food trucks, making the boulevards a fashionable weekend destination. However, plans to redevelop the section between Świętokrzyski and Poniatowski bridges, announced in 2017, raised concerns among some city residents regarding the potential privatization of part of the space and change of its character, and as a result, the displacement of nightlife from this part of the city.

The Smolensk monument is intended to be the central monument for the victims of the disaster, and the culmination of eight years of monthly memorial marches. The location of the obelisk of Jerzy Kalina’s project at Piłsudski Square, contrary to the protests of decision-makers in the spatial planning of the city of Warsaw, was made possible by the decision of the province governor of Mazovia, who ruled the square – located in the middle of Warsaw downtown – as “an area of particular importance for the defense of the country”, and in effect took the jurisdiction over it from the hands of the city officials. The voivode, favoring the ruling party, then issued permit for the development of new monument on the square - already furnished by two monuments, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The construction of the monument began in the winter of 2018, carrying out construction works under a tent, and keeping its final shape in secret. The unveiling took place the day after the picture was taken, as part of the ceremony commemorating the victims.

The tunnel, which connected Złota Street with Plac Defilad in the very center of Warsaw, was closed at the end of June 2024. Once filled, a green square with rest and recreation areas, as well as a reservoir, will be created in its place. The filling of the tunnel under Marszałkowska Street is one of the stages of a larger redevelopment of Warsaw's city center, as part of the New Center of Warsaw project announced in 2019, which will transform the central area into a pedestrian-focused space.

Marymont-Ruda, Warsaw. It is estimated that 12 million people live in prefabricated block buildings in Poland, representing approximately one-third of the country's population. There is about 60,000 prefabricated buildings in Poland, containing a total of 4 million apartments.

Warszawa Zachodnia Bus Station is one of the busiest transfer points in Poland. Serving over 500 connections daily, it is the first point of contact with Warsaw for many people. Built according to the design of Zygmunt Kłopocki in 1980 and never renovated since, the station has been repeatedly cited as one of the ugliest places in the capital. Currently, there are plans to refresh it, and in a few years, demolish it and build a new station on the same site.

The Wolf Krongold Tenement House was built between 1896 and 1899 at 83 Złota Street in Warsaw. The building was commonly referred to as "Pekin" (Beijing), a colloquial term for an overcrowded tenement building. In 1989, the building was listed as a historic monument. In the late 1990s, a fire broke out on the fourth floor. In 2003, the residents and tenants of the commercial premises were evicted. In February 2015, the city sold the building to a company belonging to the international group AFI Europe. On November 15, 2015, a fire broke out again in the abandoned building. Renovations began in 2019. Only the exterior walls were preserved, with the rest hollowed out. The tenement house was rebuilt into a luxury apartment building.

Aleja Prymasa Tysiąclecia is a major arterial road in Warsaw, built in parts between 1969 and 1997 as part of the inner-city expressway system. It forms part of Poland's national road DK7 and the European routes E77 and E30, linking the southern and eastern parts of the country with the capital. The road cuts through Warsaw Wola district, serving as a fast, cross-town corridor for cars and trucks. Despite surrounding residential areas and proximity to public transport lines, its design heavily favors motor traffic, with limited pedestrian crossings and poor integration with the urban fabric.

Twarda 30/32 being torn down to make place for further investments. In the background, new office architecture of the Rondo ONZ area of downtown Warsaw.

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Second Bank

Second Bank is a story about right side of Wisła River in Warsaw, Poland. The division is not only spatial, but also a social one; the first bank is equally afraid and fascinated by the second one. Praga and Grochów districts were less affected by the WW2 destruction of the city, but despite the gradual expansion with a lot of heavy industry being located there, the right bank of the capital was neglected and is still considered a far away land for those living on the opposite side. As I started my life in Warsaw on this second, wrong side of the division, and now I live there as well, I document how it changes with time.

2014 – ongoing.

Pictured here is the administrative border between Praga North and South districts.

Nowe Dynasy velodrome, opened in 1972 in partnership with nearby PZO factory, closed in 1985. For the last 10 years, both local community and cycling enthusiasts push the city to open the premises for the general public, to no avail.

Since I moved back to the Second Bank in 2023, there was a number of spontaneus fires in otherwise abandoned buildings. Most of them were since demolished, and plots sold for new investments.

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Covid Clubs

Covid Clubs is a documentary on (mostly) independent music venues ecosystem in Warsaw during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Main focus is nightlife as an industry, employing many people on unstable contracts and in precarious conditions. Documentations of empty dancefloors was expanded with portraits of owners, managers and workers of visited places, together with interviews about their take on the whole situation. Five years later, more than half places photographed doesn’t exist.

2020

"The most stable in this situation is that we know nothing - the things we do on a daily basis are pretty much out of the picture for any level of government plans, so now, a month after the pandemic is announced, we do not know whether we will remain closed for next week, month or year."

- Witek, owner of Hydrozagadka and Chmury.

"We really just started to fully function. We were supposed to have our first birthday the weekend before the lockdown, so we were twice as sad. From the beginning, we think of ourselves as a collective. That's why we released the compilation, because in the flood of events on the stream we lacked some collected statements from the producers, and if it wasn't for them, it would not have been all. Now the biggest pain is planning how to go on from where we are now, because we would like to book parties for fall, but no one knows what will happen then, whether the nightlife will come back. There is uncertainty. We want to make up for that canceled birthday when fall comes, as well."
- Ola, 999.

"What is outside the spotlight of the public opinion is the situation of employees in gastronomy and/or enterntainment business. Generally speaking, this is not a group that earns unbelievably high amounts of money, and suddenly this group was left unable to earn this money almost overnight. In addition to being a club, we are also a social cooperative, and we don't want to leave anyone working with us overboard. We will do everything to prevent firing anyone. Were it not for the support of these people on the public fundraiser, these twenty-few people would likely not have a livelihood, because first there was a lockdown, and then there was questioning and wondering how and whether to support places like ours at all."

- Zuzia and Gosia, members of Pogłos cooperative.

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Vanishing Act

A brief story about a disappearance.

2022-2025.

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Ticket Controllers

Ticket inspectors in Warsaw don't wear uniforms, but you can always tell.

2025.

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