Palace of Culture and Science facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palace of Culture and Science |
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Pałac Kultury i Nauki – PKiN
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Palace of Culture and Science in 2019
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| General information | |
| Type | Mixed-use |
| Architectural style | Stalinist |
| Location | Warsaw, Poland |
| Address | Plac Defilad 1 |
| Coordinates | 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 | 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 |
The Palace of Culture and Science (called Pałac Kultury i Nauki in Polish, or just PKiN) is a very tall building in the center of Warsaw, Poland. It stands 237 metres (778 ft) high, making it the second tallest building in Poland. It is also one of the tallest buildings in the whole of Europe. When it was finished in 1955, it was the eighth tallest building in the world!
The Palace was designed by a Soviet-Russian architect named Lev Rudnev. He was inspired by old Polish buildings and tall American art deco skyscrapers. The building looks similar to other famous buildings in Moscow, Russia, known as the "Seven Sisters."
Today, the Palace is a busy place. It has many public and cultural spots like theaters, museums, universities, a cinema, and a swimming pool. You can also find offices for the Polish Academy of Sciences here. The building is decorated with sculptures that show different areas of culture and science. For example, at the main entrance, you can see sculptures of the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and the poet Adam Mickiewicz. Since 2007, the Palace has been recognized as an important cultural heritage site.
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What's in a Name?
The building was first called the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science. But during a time when people wanted to move away from Stalin's influence, his name was removed. You won't find his name on the building's columns, inside the lobby, or on any sculptures anymore.
People in Warsaw have given the Palace many nicknames. Some popular ones are Pekin (which sounds like "Beijing" and comes from its initials PKiN) and Patyk (meaning "stick," probably because of its shape). Other fun nicknames include pajac ("clown"), strzykawka ("syringe"), and ruski tort ("Russian birthday cake").
Building History
How the Palace Was Built
The idea for this huge tower came from an agreement between Poland and the Soviet Union in 1952. It was given as a gift to the people of Poland. Construction began in May 1952 and finished in July 1955.
To decide how tall the building should be, architects used a small airplane to fly a balloon over the site. They started at 100 metres (330 ft), then went higher. The Polish architects kept asking for it to be taller! In the end, they decided on a total height of 237 metres (778 ft). This included a 120 metres (390 ft) main part, a 40 metres (130 ft) turret, and a 77 metres (253 ft) spire at the very top.
Thousands of workers, both from the Soviet Union and Poland, helped build the Palace. Sadly, 16 workers died during the construction. The Soviet workers lived in a special neighborhood built just for them, called Osiedle Przyjaźń ("Friendship Neighborhood"). It even had its own cinema and swimming pool.
The Palace's design shares many features with the "Seven Sisters" skyscrapers in Moscow. However, the architect, Lev Rudnev, also added Polish touches. For example, some parts of the building look like old Renaissance houses and palaces from Polish cities like Kraków.
Early Years of the Palace
When it first opened, the Palace of Culture and Science was the eighth tallest building in the world. It was also the second tallest in Europe.
Many important visitors came to see the Palace soon after it opened. It also hosted a big international event for young people in 1955. The observation deck on the 30th floor, at 114 metres (374 ft) high, offers amazing views. However, after some sad incidents in 1956, the deck was made safer by adding steel bars.
The Palace's concert hall has hosted many famous artists. In 1967, The Rolling Stones played there, becoming one of the first big Western rock bands to perform in this part of the world. Later, in 1985, Leonard Cohen also performed, and many people hoped he would speak about the important political changes happening in Poland at the time.
The Palace Today
Today, the Palace is a busy place for exhibitions and offices. It has an eight-screen cinema (Kinoteka), four theaters, two museums (the Museum of Evolution and the Museum of Technology), and a large swimming pool. There's also a big hall called the Congress Hall that can hold 3,000 people. A university, Collegium Civitas, is located on the 11th and 12th floors. The observation deck on the 30th floor is still a popular spot for tourists to see the city. Even the Warsaw City Council has offices here.
Around the Palace, you can see many sculptures of important figures in culture and science. In front of the main entrance are statues of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and the poet Adam Mickiewicz.
In 2000, four large clocks were added to the top of the building for the new millennium. Each clock face is 6.3 metres (21 ft) wide! They started working on December 31, 2000.
The Congress Hall also hosted the finals of the Miss World 2006 competition.
In 2010, the Palace got new, modern LED lights. These lights can change colors, making the building look different at night. For Christmas in 2010, it was lit up in green and white like a Christmas tree. In December 2013, it showed blue and yellow lights to support protesters in Ukraine. On January 29, 2021, a red lightning bolt, the symbol of the Women's Strike protests, was projected onto the building.
Radio and TV Signals
Because the Palace is so tall, it's a great place for antennas. The first antenna was put up in 1956 for state television. Later, in 1974, a special link was installed to send radio signals to a very tall radio mast. FM radio broadcasts started from the Palace in 1992.
Today, the Palace sends out digital television signals for all six main free-to-air channels in Poland. Older analog television signals were turned off in 2013. For a time, between 1987 and 1997, the Palace even rebroadcast a Russian TV channel for Soviet soldiers stationed in Poland.
Animal Life at the Palace
The 42nd floor of the Palace is a special nesting spot for peregrine falcons. In 2009, cameras were set up so people could watch the falcons live online! In 2016, a pair of falcons had babies there, named Bazyl, Orion, and Wawa by internet users. They had to move to another skyscraper for a short time in 2017 for repairs, but they returned once the work was done.
Down in the second basement floor, there are cats that live there. The Palace staff takes care of them. In 2015, there were 11 cats living in the basement.
Since 2015, there's also an apiary (a place where bees are kept) on the roof of the Studio Theatre, which is part of the Palace.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de la Cultura y la Ciencia para niños
- List of tallest buildings in Warsaw
- List of tallest buildings in Poland
- Socialist realism in Poland
- Latvian Academy of Sciences (Riga, Latvia)
- House of the Free Press (Bucharest, Romania)
