Palace of Culture and Science - Warsaw, Poland
N 52° 13.911 E 021° 00.406
34U E 500462 N 5786825
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest building in the European Union, and the world's 187th tallest building at 237 metres (778 ft).
Waymark Code: WM55W8
Location: Mazowieckie, Poland
Date Posted: 11/16/2008
Views: 70
Construction started in 1952 and lasted until 1955. A gift from the Soviet Union to the people of Poland, the tower was constructed, using Soviet plans, almost entirely by 3500 workers from the Soviet Union, of whom 16 died in accidents during the construction. The architecture of the building is closely related to several similar skyscrapers built in the Soviet Union of the same era, most notably the Moscow State University and the Moscow Kremlin Spasskaya tower. However, the main architect Lev Rudnev incorporated some Polish architectural details into the project by traveling around Poland and seeing the architecture. The monumental walls are headed with pieces of masonry copied from renaissance houses and palaces of Kraków and Zamosc.
Shortly after opening, the building hosted the 5th World Festival of Youth and Students. Many visiting dignitaries toured the Palace, and it also hosted performances by notable international artists, such as a 1967 concert by the Rolling Stones, the first by a major western rock group behind the Iron Curtain.
As the city's most visible landmark, the building was controversial from its inception. Many Poles initially hated the building because they considered it to be a symbol of Soviet domination, and at least some of that negative feeling persists until today. Some have also argued that, regardless of its political connotations, the building destroyed the aesthetic balance of the old city and imposed dissonance with other buildings. However, over time, and especially in recent years, Warsaw has acquired a number of other skyscrapers of comparable height, so that the Palace now fits somewhat more harmoniously into the city skyline. Furthermore, since Soviet domination over Poland ended in 1989, the negative symbolism of the building has much diminished. Four 6.3-metre clock faces were added to the top of the building in 2000, making it briefly the tallest, and now the world's second-tallest, clock tower.
The terrace on the 30th floor, at 114 metres, is a well-known tourist attraction with a panoramic view of the city.
The building currently serves as an exhibition centre and office complex. It is 231 metres (778 ft) tall which includes the height of the spire of 49 metres. There are 3288 rooms on 42 floors, with an overall area of 123,000 m², containing cinemas, theatres, museums, offices, bookshops, and a large conference hall for 3000 people. In fact, an accredited university, Collegium Civitas, makes its home on the 11th and 12th floors of the building.
(from wikipedia)
Building Name: Palace of Culture and Science
Structure Height: 757
Number of Stories: 43
Year Built: 1955
Architect/Design Firm: Lev Vladimirovitch Rudnev
Style: Post-Modern
Use: Office Building
Publicly accessible areas:
Floor 30 terrace.
Hours:
daily 9:00 -18:00.
Cost:
adult PLN 20 zł
Address:
Palace of Culture and Science
00-901 Warsaw, Defilad Square 1
Building Website: [Web Link]
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) link: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
To visit this waymark, you must provide a description of your experience and add one photograph (taken by you) of any part of the skyscraper to the gallery. This photograph does not have to have either you or your GPS receiver in it.