Building at 12 Ivan Kotliarevskyi Street, Lviv
1. Formation of the Street
The building stands on вулиця Івана Котляревського in Lviv — a street that lies within the historic residential district of Кастелівка. According to the street’s general history, this area developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the city expanded beyond its medieval centre.
Specifically, the house at No. 12 was built at a time when spacious apartment-houses replaced older single-family villas, responding to the growing urban demand in Lviv.
2. Architects and Style
The building at No. 12 is a multi-apartment house constructed in 1910-1911. The project was designed by architect Jan Bagenski, with builder Wojciech Dembiński.
Architecturally, it is a three-storey stone residence with a basement/cellar level and attic (mansard). Its plan is V-shaped, embracing the courtyard via an “офіцина” (service wing). The façade is crowned by a high triangular gable and features broad rectangular windows, a central portal and a projecting bay (окер) flanked by balconies.
The style is based on simplified, geometric forms of medieval architecture, rather than overly ornate decoration — a characteristic of transitional architecture in the early 20th century in Lviv.
3. Who Was the Owner?
The specific first owner is not clearly documented in my sources for this particular building at No. 12. The archival record shows that the project was approved on 18 August 1910 (archive file DALO 2/1/5237:1) and the building was completed in 1911.
Given the typology (multi-apartment residential house) and the time, it is likely it was built as a speculative rental property or for a local investor seeking returns from renting apartments — a common model for that era in Lviv.
4. What Does the Building Look Like?
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Plan: V-shaped layout, one wing forming the service/service-wing around the inner courtyard.
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Façade: High triangular gable (three-angle roof front), wide rectangular windows, a central main entrance portal, a projecting bay window feature with balconies on either side.
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Style: The geometric simplification and moderate ornamentation give it a dignified but restrained appearance — the emphasis is on form and volume rather than elaborate detail.
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Setting: The building is set back from the street with a strip of flower beds (or garden zone) in front of it.
5. What Is There Now?
Today, the building at 12 Ivan Kotliarevskyi St remains a residential building (multi-apartment house).