Was born in Cape Town and matriculated at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth. He attended the School of Architecture, University of Cape Town for a year (1928-9) before leaving for the University of Liverpool School of Architecture, England from where he graduated in 1933. Before he left Cape Town he received some office experience in the office of J LONSTEIN (1928-9) and added to this experience by working for several months for the Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Spain, in 1930 (Madrid Municipality). While overseas he spent four months travelling in Egypt and Palestine (1931) and four months visiting Germany, France, Switzerland and Spain (1932). Before returning to South Africa he spent six months working in the office of HTH Wydeveld in Amsterdam and two months at Caviliere in the south of France where he was engaged on a survey for the Academie Europèene Mediterranèe. Policansky returned to South Africa in 1934 and worked in Johannesburg for more than six months in the offices of COOK & COWEN and of KALLENBACH, KENNEDY & FURNER. He returned to Cape Town in 1935 where he set up practice. Among his first buildings was the CTC Bazaars in Plein St, Cape Town (1936), won in a limited entry competition, his design being described by a contemporary source as streamlined. The Judge Clothing Factory at Salt River (1937) attracted more attention, 'fresh in its method of functional expression ... the author of the design is obviously indulging in that architecture of adventure which is dear to the hearts of all those who have respect for the imaginative and constructive capacity underlying all creative work' (AB&E Jul 1938:12-13).
Policansky was among the avant-garde architects working in the Cape Town in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1941, early in the Second World War he closed his office and worked for the Cape Town Municipality. He re-opened his practice after the war and among his post-war work executed were building(s?) for Country Fair Foods at Fisantkraal. He appears to have retired in 1975.
All truncated references not fully cited in 'References' are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon.
ACA Factory: 1969. Brackenfell, Western Cape - Architect 
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Adelphi Garage: 1950. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Atlantic House: 1952. Central, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Bashew Bros. Soft Drink Factory: 1950. Epping, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 
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Berger's warehouse: 1939. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Builders Factory for Harper: 1951. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
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Builders Merchants Yard: 1952. Paarl, Western Cape - Architect
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Cape Jewish Orphanage: 1912 : 1938. Oranjezicht, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect 1938 alterations
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Cavalla Cigarette Factory: 1938. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Cavalla Leaf Store: 1951. Kensington, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Cliffside Flats: 1947. Bantry Bay, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Club Shirt Factory: 1946. Parow, Western Cape - Architect
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Corrugated Cardboard Factory: 1938. Maitland, Western Cape - Architect
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CTC Bazaars: 1936. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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CTC Bazaars Reserve Stores, now Ackerman's Reserve Stores: 1936. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Elite Printing Works: 1937. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Factory for AE Barlow: 1962. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Factory for H Berwitz: 1937. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Factory for Western Steel: 1951. Epping, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Flats Dr AH Gool - Project only: 1937. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Flats for Ackermans: 1950. Claremont, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Harris Cotton Mills: 1939. iNtabazwe (Harrismith), Free State - Architect
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Holiday Camp for Cape Jewish Orphanage: 1948. Muizenberg, Western Cape - Architect
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Holiday House: 1953. Hermanus, Western Cape - Architect
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Hotel Irene - Project only: 1937. Rondebosch, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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House Daitsh: 1944. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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House Liebreich: 1945. Durbanville, Western Cape - Architect
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House Policansky: 1947. Bantry Bay, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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House: Tahara: 1940. Pinelands, Western Cape - Architect
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IL Back Factory Complex: 1969. Parow, Western Cape - Architect
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Invincible Factory Complex: 1950. Elsiesrivier, Western Cape - Architect
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Invincible Furniture Factory: 1945. N'dabeni, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Jaymore Factory: 1946. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
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Judge Clothing Factory - Rex Trueform: 1937. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Lamson Paragon - Cape Town Science Centre: 1946 : 2011. Observatory, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Lefic Centre for Foshini Ltd: 1972. Parow, Western Cape - Architect
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Mercantile Centre: 1969. Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape - Architect
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Mortuary Chapel: 1939. Pinelands, Western Cape - Architect
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Nedbank Building: 1962. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Odeon Cinema and Thelma Court flats: 1938. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Offices for Abelsohn: 1950. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Reduction Plant: 1949. Saldanha, Western Cape - Architect
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SBH Cotton Mills: 1949. Epping, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Shop for Mink Bros.: 1950. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Silver Leaf Bakery: 1950. Maitland, Western Cape - Architect
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St John's Mansions: 1935. Sea Point, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Standard Bakery, now Stewart-Collins Master Builders: 1936. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Store and Department for Helfet Tires: 1957. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
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Synagogue: 1949-1952. Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Tobacco Store for L and H Policansky: 1938. Salt River, Western Cape - Architect
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Van der Stel Building: 1953. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Warehouse and Distribution Centre for Fig Bros.: 1960. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Warehouse for 'Messaris': 1939. Cape Town, Western Cape - Architect
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Warehouse for SAA Distributors: 1954. Woodstock, Western Cape - Architect
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Westlake Technical High School: 1968. Cape Town, Western Cape - Design Architect
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Wynberg Shopping Centre: 1954. Wynberg, Western Cape - Architect
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Righini, Paul. 1977. The work of Max Policansky. isilili sam sise africa : a journal of architecture and human settlements - University of Cape Town. Volume 1 Number 1 45-61
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