Palace of Culture and Science
| Palace of Culture and Science | |
|---|---|
| Pałac Kultury i Nauki | |
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|
| General information | |
| Type | Multi-function |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| Location | Warsaw, Poland |
| Address | Plac Defilad 1 |
| Coordinates | 52°13′54″N 21°00′23″E / 52.23167°N 21.00639°ECoordinates: 52°13′54″N 21°00′23″E / 52.23167°N 21.00639°E |
| Construction started | 2 May 1952 |
| Completed | 22 July 1955 |
| Height | |
| Architectural | 230.7 m (757 ft) |
| Antenna spire | 237 m (778 ft) |
| Roof | 187.68 m (615.7 ft) |
| Observatory | 114 m (374 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 42 |
| Floor area | 123,084 m2 (1,324,865 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Lev Rudnev |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 3288 |
| Website | |
| www |
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Constructed in 1955, the Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki; abbreviated PKiN) is a notable high-rise building in Warsaw, Poland. It is the center for various companies, public institutions and cultural activities such as concerts, cinemas, theaters, libraries, sports clubs, universities, scientific institutions and authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Motivated by Polish historicism and American art deco high-rise buildings, the PKiN was designed by Soviet architect Lev Rudnev in "Seven Sisters" style and is informally referred to as the Eighth Sister.
The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland, the eighth tallest building in the European Union and one of the tallest on the European continent. It is 237 metres (778 ft) tall, including the structural 43-metre high spire.
The building was originally known as the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki imienia Józefa Stalina), but in the wake of destalinization the dedication to Stalin was revoked. Stalin's name was removed from the colonnade, interior lobby and one of the building's sculptures.
Varsovians still commonly use nicknames to refer to the palace, notably Pekin ("Beijing", because of its abbreviated name PKiN), and Pajac ("clown", a word that sounds close to Pałac). Other less common names include Stalin's syringe, the Elephant in Lacy Underwear, or even the Russian Wedding Cake.
However, only Pekin was the popular alternative name. Also, despite some later confusion, the name patyk (a Polish word for stick) didn't stand for PKiN but for the 10-metre tall signpost, in the corner of the Plac Defilad (Parade Square), near the intersection of Marszałkowska Street and Aleje Jerozolimskie. The four walls of the signpost display the names of several large or important cities around the world, together with the distances from the signpost itself.
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Wikipedia