Warszawa Neon - 2024
Exclusive new book designed and published by the Neon Muzeum. All Photographs by Ilona Karwińska of Cold War Era Neon signs from Warsaw (2005-2024).
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The landmark Cepelia Pavilion, which is located on the southwestern side of the intersection of Marszałkowska and Al. Jerozolimskie, is an element of the the post-war urban plan for the reconstruction of the centre of Warsaw. At the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, the Śródmieście Urban Planning Department, headed by Zygmunt Stępiński, came up with the concept of erecting a light, glass commercial pavilion. The two-story building, designed by Zygmunt Stępiński and intended for Cepelia*, was put into use in 1966.
Neon lighting was an integral part of the facility. On the northern façade, from Aleje Jerozolimskie, there was a large neon sign with the stylised inscription Cepelia. A similar inscription was placed on a stand on the roof of the eastern façade, from Marszałkowska Street. On the southern façade, from Nowogrodzka Street, there was a neon sign with the inscription Cepelia and a stylised cockerel. In addition, a free-standing glass display case on the Nowogrodzka side displayed neon lighting – in the form of two small Cepelia inscriptions and a cockerel. Since the 1980s, the pavilion has been subject to systematic reconstruction. The neon signs were dismantled or covered. In 1995, the building received a new façade made of orange sheet metal, and over time, it turned into a large advertising structure. In 2019, the modernist pavilion was entered into the register of monuments, which saved it from further degradation and potential demolition.
In 2024, a thorough reconstruction of the facility began – intended for the Empik bookstore. As part of the investment, the original external appear- ance of the pavilion will be restored. During conservation works, a surprising discovery was made – it turned out that small neon signs from the external, free-standing display case had survived. The Office of the Monument Conservator, in consultation with the investor, decided to donate these artifacts to the Neon Muzeum. Our facility will also receive the original external panels of the building's facade, with a preserved trace of the former Cepelia neon sign.
*Cepelia, i.e. the Central Folk and Artistic Industry Cooperative, was an organisation supporting cooperatives folk and artistic handicrafts. It was established in 1949. As part of its activities, Cepelia ran numerous commercial establishments selling folk products. The liquidation of Cepelia – as a state-owned enterprise – took place in 1990, and several entities were established on its basis. In 2020, the Cepelia Polish Art and Handicraft Foundation, which had the trademark rights to the sign and former properties, ceased its operations.
Our warmest thanks go to the Sienna 111 group and Tomasz Sleboda (The Office of Monument Conservation) for donating this historic sign to our institution. The badly corroded sign underwent an extensive preservation process followed by painstaking restoration – with new glass and electrical systems – to return the neon to its former condition.
Exclusive new book designed and published by the Neon Muzeum. All Photographs by Ilona Karwińska of Cold War Era Neon signs from Warsaw (2005-2024).
The modernist Cepelia Pavilion is being rebuilt in the center of Warsaw. The facility, which will regain its former glory, will eventually house an Empik store.