Initially (in 1775) it was conceived as a one-story villa set on a square. Before the building could be completed (as originally planned) quarter-circular wings were added to either side, ending with one-storey pavilions covered with the than fashionable Chinese-style roofs. Several years later, an additional floor was added to the one-storey pavilions. The edifice, designed by Merilini, took on the appearance of a classicist mansion. Tradition holds that it was given by the king to his nephew Prince Józef Poniatowski. The mansion survived the Second World War and many of its interiors have retained their original décor.