Stained glass window - decorative element of the Rector's Office of Lodz University of Technology

On the cover of Życie Uczelni No 154 we can admire a fragment of an Art Nouveau stained glass window decorating the top of the stairs of the Rector's Office of Lodz University of Technology.

Today the window looks different. Its central part has been supplemented with the figure of a woman with a parrot, thanks to which we can enjoy the sight of the finished work.

For years, Lodz University of Technology has been taking care of post-factory villas which are part of its campus. It is a source of pride for the university, but also a reason to take care of historic interiors in their historic appearance.

Two adjacent beautiful villas were built by brothers Reinhold and Joseph Richter. The former seat of the Rector' s Office - Reinhold Richter's villa (built in 1903-1904), which delighted with elements of Art Nouveau decoration, after being destroyed by fire, is waiting for the completion of a very costly and demanding renovation. Today, the role of the Rector's Office is fulfilled by a Neo-Renaissance villa of Josef Richter, built earlier (in the years 1888-1889). Since 1993, the building has belonged to Lodz University of Technology. It was here that the International Faculty of Engineering took its first steps. Later, it housed the Rector's administration units. At the beginning of the last term of Rector prof. Slawomir Wiak renovated the representative rooms for the needs of the Rector's authorities. This term Rector Professor Krzysztof Jóźwik has ordered further renovation works, thanks to which the whole Rector's authorities have their offices in one building. The beautiful, stylish interiors make a great impression on visitors to the Rector's Office, although the time of the pandemic has significantly limited visits and the possibility of admiring the historic architecture by outsiders.

The impressive staircase leading from the spacious hall to the first floor is crowned with a window, once a stained glass window - a decoration typical of factory owners' residences from the beginning of the 20th century, but there has been no stained glass there for the last few years. Thanks to the initiative of the Rector, Prof. Sławomir Wiak, work has been undertaken to remedy this lack. Prof. Wiak - an expert and collector of art - has made every effort to ensure that the new stained glass is of the highest quality.

- I invited Jan Dominikowski, a well-known Lodz art historian and art restorer, who is an outstanding expert in the art of stained glass, to cooperate. We wanted to preserve the consistency of the architecture and style of the interior of the building, so as to reflect the atmosphere of the era. It was not an easy task, but I am delighted with the result. I am glad that this work so beautifully complements the stylish interiors of the Rector's Palace," says Prof. Wiak.

Jan Dominikowski is the author and maker of many stained glass windows which decorate historical villas and palaces in Lodz