Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science

The Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki, also abbreviated as PKiN) in Warsaw (geographical coordinates: ) is the tallest building in downtown Warsaw, constructed just after the World War II according to Soviet projects and almost entirely by workers from the Soviet Union. In the USSR it was considered a gift from the people of the Soviet Union to the people of Warsaw, Poland, and its name at the time of construction was "Stalin Palace".

Construction started in 1952 and lasted until 1955. It was carried out entirely by Soviet construction workers and with materials brought mostly from the Soviet Union. In all, about 3500 Soviet citizens worked to erect the building. The building is 230.68 metres (757 ft) tall with a spire of 43 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.

Nevertheless, 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 esthetic balance of the old city and imposed dissonance with other buildings. The inhabitants of Warsaw still commonly use different, somewhat pejorative nicknames to refer to the palace, such as either Pekin (Peking in Polish, because of its abbreviated name PKiN) or Pajac (Puppet, name coined after the word Pałac meaning Palace). An old joke held that the best views of Warsaw were available from the building: it was the only place in the city from where it could not be seen. 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 has ended in 1989, the negative symbolism of the building has much diminished.

The architecture of the building is closely related to many similar skyscrapers built in the Soviet Union at the time (most notably the Moscow State University). However, the main architect Lev Rudnev is said to have incorporated many genuinely Polish details into the project. The monumental walls are headed with pieces of masonry copied from renaissance houses and palaces of Kraków and Zamość.

Initially the building was called "Stalin Palace" (Pałac imienia Stalina) until it was renamed in the late 1950s. It currently serves as an exhibition centre and office park. The terrace on the 30th floor, which is situated at the height of 114 metres, is a well-known tourist attraction with a nice view of the city.

The Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science is also used for FM and TV broadcasting and therefore has transmission aerials on its top.

Image:Palac5.jpg|During the communist era Image:Palac3.jpg|During the communist era Image:Palac Nauki.jpg|The Palace at dusk Image:Warsaw cult palace night.jpg|The Palace at night Image:PKiN view N dusk.jpg|View north from the viewing gallery at dusk Image:Panoramawarszawy.jpg|Warsaw skyline, with the Palace on the left Image:Warszawa2.jpg|Other skyscrapers are gradually diminishing the prominence of the Palace in Warsaw's skyline

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Buildings and structures in Warsaw | Skyscrapers in Poland | Socialist realism | History of Poland (1945–1989)

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