Palace of Culture and Science
| Palace of Culture and Science | |
|---|---|
Pałac Kultury i Nauki – PKiN | |
Palace of Culture and Science in 2019 | |
| 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(s) | Lev Rudnev |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 3288 |
| Public transit access | Świętokrzyska Centrum |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Palace of Culture and Science (Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki; abbreviated PKiN) is a notable high-rise building in central Warsaw, Poland. With a total height of 237 metres (778 ft), it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw and Poland (after the Varso Tower), the sixth tallest building in the European Union and one of the tallest on the European continent. At the time of its completion in 1955, the Palace was the eighth tallest building in the world, retaining the position until 1961; it was also briefly the tallest clock tower in the world, from 2000 until the 2002 installation of a clock mechanism on the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building in Tokyo, Japan.
Inspired by Polish historical architecture and American art deco high-rise buildings, the Palace of Culture and Science was designed by Soviet-Russian architect Lev Rudnev in "Seven Sisters" style.
The Palace houses various public and cultural institutions, including theatres, museums, universities, a cinema, a concert hall, a public swimming pool, and the offices of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The building is decorated with sculptures representing the fields of culture and science. The main entrance features sculptures of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, by Ludwika Nitschowa, and the poet Adam Mickiewicz, by Stanisław Horno-Popławski. Since 2007, the PKiN has been listed in the Registry of Objects of Cultural Heritage.