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The Palace of Culture and Science ( according to Soviet project and almost entirely by workers from the Soviet Union. In the USSR it was considered as a gift from the people of the Soviet Union to the people of Warsaw in Poland and its name at the time of construction was "Stalin Palace". The 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 m&2, 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'' (, 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 an office park. The terrace on the 30th floor, which is situated at the height of 114 metres, is a well-known Tourist attraction giving 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. |
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