What do you say when someone says they're going to gift you the tallest building in your country? If you're Poland in the 1950s and it's the USSR making the offer, you only have one option, like it or not. Well, it doesn't look too bad does it? Particularly if you're a fan of Stalin style socialist architecture.
A gift from Stalin
Originally called the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science, the building it is 237m high and was the tallest building in Poland when it was built in the 1950s. There are no prizes for guessing why the building was so named, why it was the tallest, and why it looks so similar to the other grand Soviet buildings during that period. If you install a puppet government in a country, what better way to colonise it than to slap your own name on the tallest building and stick it in front of the people's faces.
After Poland regained its true independence, the building was renamed Palace of Culture and Science, known locally as PKiN, cutting its ties with the horrible past. Just as Hive is now known as Hive, we want nothing to do with the past that was tarnished by a lowlife scumbag.
PKiN
PKiN was the first place I visited when I arrived in Warsaw. Mainly because it was 10 minutes walk away from my accommodation. And more importantly because it was late afternoon and I knew the observation deck on the 30th offers great views of the city. What took me by surprise was how run down the place was as I approached it.
From a distance, the round structure looked so grand at the foot of the even grander skyscraper. I looked for the entrance, but all I could see was dark windows, locked doors and graffiti on the walls. A couple of homeless guys had set themselves up on the grand entrance. It was terribly depressing. I couldn't understand why one of the most famous buildings in the capital of Poland was so desolate. I walked up and down but failed to find the entrance. Then it turns out this is the back of the building, and the round building, the Congress Hall is currently undergoing renovations, that's why it looks so bleak.
Eventually I walked around to the front of the building and saw crowds of people. This is more like it.
The observation terrace
You'll be glad to know I do have some nice things to say about the PKiN. It's inception was not welcome by all Poles, and to date there are still some who thinks it should be demolished because it represents the Soviet repression from the past. But from a tourist point of view, I think the observation terrace on the 30th floor offers incredible views of the city and is definitely worth a visit. It costs 25zt, that's less than USD6 to go up, and as you come out of the elevator the first thing you see is the grand Gothic Hall.
Visitors can walk all around the terrace to get a 360 degree view of Warsaw and if I got my bearings correct, this is what you see. Access from the Gothic Hall to the terrace faces the east. If you come here first thing in the morning I can imagine the welcome view of the early morning sun. The structure you see straight ahead is the National Stadium. It was built for the 2012 UEFA (that's the European Football Championship for those who don't watch football) and can sit 58 thousand people.
Moving on to the north, the low brown rooftop cluster on the right is the Old Town. There is a contrast here with the new modern side of Warsaw where you can see the Cosmopolitan Twarda on the left. This is mainly a residential building and is the 10th tallest building in the country.
Moving on to the west. Not that I had planned it, but I came at the best time of the day to watch the sunset slowly retiring for the day behind the Warsaw skyline. The Skyliner on the left is Poland's 7th tallest building, and the Intercontinental Warsaw on the right, the 9th tallest in the country. I'm not a big fan of these suspended floors and the top section looks a bit scary supported by that rather thin looking pillar.
Now we move to the King of all Polish skyline, the Varso Tower on the left. At 310m tall, this is the tallest building in Poland and the European Union, and trumping the PKiN's 237m by a hugh margin. It's a relatively new building, just completed in 2022. Apparently in 2024 it will open up an observation deck at 230m high, more than double the 114m where I am standing now. I think the anti PKiN's may be pleased about that. The view from the PKiN observation deck is already incredible, and I think it will be even more impressive from the Varso Tower when it opens. Perhaps a reason to visit Warsaw again next year?
And finally, the south has a bit of an anti climax after the stunning views from the west. There is a lot of green area and it was always very busy when I went pass as the central station is on the right.
Afterthoughts
I get why some (many?) locals do not like the PKiN. No one wants to be constantly reminded of the painful past. After seeing the modern skyline from the observation deck, it is clear that Warsaw has advanced a lot in the 30 years since the Soviets left. Perhaps with the new Varso Tower, the focus of tall buildings can now shift away from PKiN. And when tourists visit Warsaw they will head to Varso next year instead of PKiN. Till then, the PKiN can still be seen everywhere, left right and center.
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