History of the building of the Constitutional Tribunal
Warsaw, 12A Szucha Avenue
The building of the Constitutional Tribunal is located in Warsaw, at 12Aa Szucha Avenue. Its surroundings were planned in the second half of the 18th century as a part of the King Stanislaus Axis with Ujazdowski Castle in the center, rebuilt into the Lithuanian Crown Guardians barracks. Several large avenues had their beginning at the Castle and linked this district with Żoliborz and Saska axis. Today only Szucha Avenue is a reminder of the past. The King Stanislaus Axis configuration was, in the late 18th century, intended as a new city center for the capital of the Commonwealth of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although major urban initiatives were discontinued after the fall of the state, some plans were realized under the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and during the constitutional period of the Kingdom of Poland. In the 19th century, much of real estate located in this part of Warsaw was taken over by the Russian Empire Treasury and thus today its major part is owned by the Polish state.
Around 1900 Russian authorities started the construction of several military buildings for the Alexander Suvorov Cadet Corps, along Ujazdowskie Avenue, on the land owned by the Russian Empire, registered under the land plot number 1720 (between Szucha Avenue and Bagatela Street). Today, these buildings are occupied by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
Among them was the officers' casino located at the back of the cadets' barracks, between Ujazdowskie and Szucha avenues. Its address was 12A Szucha Avenue. Today it is the official seat of the Constitutional Tribunal.
Along with the Belvedere palace and the current seat of the Ministry of National Defense, the casino constituted a tsarist administration building complex located along the Avenue between Na Rozdrożu Square and Bagatela Street.
The casino building only briefly served its original purpose, however, it was owned by the army until 1890s. the casino building was erected between 1910 and 1914 during the final stage of the barracks construction.
Like the rest of the building complex, it was designed by Wiktor Junosza-Piotrowski and erected by a Varsovian architect, Henryk Julian Gay.
After 1920, all former Cadets Corps barracks housed the military institutions of the reborn Polish state: Polish Infantry School and, after 1928, the Military General Inspector, the Military Library and the Rappersville Collection. The former officers' casino building also underwent changes; it was spatially and functionally linked with other buildings along Ujazdowskie Avenue having Szucha at its back.
During the interwar period, all the surroundings were revived and transformed into the city's government quarter. The Ministry of Religion and Public Enlightenment (today's Ministry of Education) [1925-1930] and the Supreme Chamber of Control [1935] were erected in the neighboring areas. Many modern houses were built for civil servants; the Apostolic Nunciature palace [1924] was erected.
During the German occupation, Szucha Avenue was located in the so-called German district of the city and therefore remained untouched through the war. In the late 1940s, this part of the city was further reconstructed for state administration needs. All buildings along Ujazdowskie Avenue were adopted by the State Council, the Prime Minister's Chancellery and by the Higher School of Social Sciences affiliated by the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party. At that time, the present seat of the Constitutional Tribunal was turned over to the Polish army and housed the Main Military Library between 1951 and 1991. The reconstruction projects were prepared by Architect Zygmunt Odyniec Dobrowolski. At the time, the building was reverted towards Szucha Avenue, between 1946 and 1989 called the First Polish Army Avenue.
After having moved the Library to its new premises in Gocław, the building was turned over to the Constitutional Tribunal. And during the following two years (1993-1995), it was completely reconstructed and modernized (a superstructure was erected, interior rebuilt and the main entrance was moved to its current location, to face aleja Szucha ) in accordance with the project prepared by two Varsovian architects, Stanisław Sołtyk and Janusz Szwejcer. In January 1995, the Constitutional Tribunal moved from its provisional premises at the Sejm to its new building. The official inauguration of the Constitutional Tribunal's new seat was held on February 1st of that year.
In 2001, the construction of a new building, with a new court room and a number of additional office rooms was started within the Constitutional Tribunal's premises. It was completed in 2003.
Adam Jankiewicz
