Stara Prochownia
| Bridge Gate | |
|---|---|
 Neoclassical façade (left) and brick gothic, renaissance original building (right). | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Brick Gothic, Renaissance and neoclassical |
| Town or city | Warsaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Construction started | 1582 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Jakub Fontana (1769) |
Stara Prochownia (English: The Old Gunpowder Depot) also known as the Bridge Gate (Polish: Brama Mostowa) is a historic building in Warsaw New Town. It is located on ulica Boleść, just below the New Town and the Barbican, on the Vistula River escarpment.
History
The building was initially constructed in 1582 as one of the gates in the city walls of Warsaw.[1] Unlike other gates, it was built to prevent fire from spreading from the densely built-up Old Town to the newly built wooden bridge that crossed the river. The gate gained the name Brama Mostowa (Bridge Gate). Although the bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1603, and subsequent bridges were built to the south, the name stuck.[1]
In the 17th century, when the city walls lost their strategical significance in warfare, the gate was converted into a gunpowder depot, which gave its name to the contemporary name.[1] Expanded between 1648 and 1649 it served its new role until 1769, when it was converted into a city prison.[1] Around that time it was also expanded (possibly by Jakub Fontana) along the Boleść Street.[1] Further expansion was done between 1796 and 1806.
Following the November Uprising and the Russian decision to erect the Warsaw Citadel, in 1833 the prison had been liquidated and the building was refurbished to become a private house.[1] After the World War II parts of the building were rebuilt in their 18th century form. .[1] Interestingly, one of the first theatre performances to be staged in Warsaw after the end of World War II was a production of 'Carmen', which was performed in the shell of the destroyed building, before it was restored. From the 1980s Stara Prochownia housed a number of Polish theatre productions, and between 1995 and 2002 the professional English language The Globe Theatre Group, under the direction of actor and producer Jerry Flynn, staged numerous cutting-edge productions, bringing professional actors to Warsaw from the UK, Ireland and the US.
References
External links
- (Polish) Stara Prochownia Theatre
Coordinates: 52°15′07″N 21°00′43″E / 52.251986°N 21.011902°E