Zatrasie development, Żoliborz district
Zatrasie, the name meaning ‘back of the road’ and referring to the city’s main north-south thoroughfare (today Aleja Jana Pawła II and Broniewskiego Street), was developed on the initiative of the Warsaw Housing Cooperative (WSM) to a design by architect Janusz Nowicki and team (T. Fiećko, W. Materski, J. Osuchowski). Between 1960 and 1964, in an area flanked by Krasińskiego, Przasnyska, Elbląska and Broniewskiego streets, residential blocks were erected that were three to nine stories high and contained flats of various metric areas (from M1 to M6 – the nomenclature referring to the intended number of residents). In keeping with the WSM’s prewar philosophy, the project included also a school, a kindergarten, shops, green areas and playgrounds. Chrząszczowa portrayed the Zatrasie development twice: in wintertime, during construction, and in summertime, after it had been inhabited.
