Palace+of+Culture

When you pass a large building and see the words "Palac Kultury i Nauki" in red on front, you just walked past Poland's tallest building, more commonly known as the Palace of Culture and Science. There are many reasons why the Palace of Culture and Science is widely known. Besides the fact that it is the tallest tower in Poland, the building serves as the largest congress venue in Warsaw and is also known as the house of jazz in Poland. The architect behind the 757 foot high building was Lev Vladimirovich Rudnev. He was a Soviet architect that was born on March 13, 1885 and died on November 19, 1956. This massive building was "a gift" from the Soviet Union, therefore it was constructed by Soviet planes and about 3,500 workers. During the process of building, sixteen people had died due to accidents that have happened. Construction of the Palace of Culture and Science started in May of 1952 and was completed in July of 1955. It's impressive for the Soviets to construct the building within the span of three years because it stands 230.5 meters tall and is 1,324,865 square feet. There is four 6.3 meter clock faces added to the top of the building which had made it the tallest clock tower in 2000 but was later beaten. At the top stands a needle which is forty-three It was specifically designed to include influences form all Poland's architectural style. Controversial from the very beginning, The Palace of Culture and Science is the city's most visible landmark. Many people and Poland despise the building, because it's a reminder of the years of Soviet control. Long after the fall of the Soviet Union, people today still associate the building with the communist regime. Other people dislike the building simply because the architectural style doesn't fit with the rest of the city. Warsaw residents have some fun nicknames for the building, including Pekin (Polish for Beijing - which used to be called Peking) because of the abbreviation PKiN. Some people call it Pajac (clown), which sounds close to Palac. Other nicknames include Stalin's syringe, the Elephant in Lacy Underwear, and the Russian Wedding Cake. The 30th floor of the building offers a fantastic view of the city, so it's a popular tourist attraction. Many Poles say it's the best view of the city, simply because it's the only view of the city without the Palac ruining the view. The same thing has been said about Tour Montparnasse, the only skyscraper in Paris, France. The building has held many different events such as festivals and concerts. Famous jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Rollins have in the building for a Jazz Jamboree Festival which has been held inside the building since 1965. Taking place in 1985 it hosted the historic the Leonard Cohen concert which was around three hours long. In 2006, the 56th Miss World Beauty Pageant, won by Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir from Iceland, took place here. Guest artists such as Marlene Dietrich, Procol Harum, Bruce Springsteen, Cesaria Evora, The Rolling Stones, and Woody Allen with his band have all made an appearance at an event inside the historical landmark. As well as the beauty pageant, this building hosted the 5th World Festival of Youth and Students. Performances by the Aleksandroff Group, the Moscow City Balletm a Bollywood Gala, and in tribute to Micheal Jackson, the New York Musical titled "Thriller" was shown inside in the year 2010. There are over 3,000 rooms including a cinema, a food court, community center, a conference hall that can hold up to three thousand people, a swimming pool, a post office, museums, and libraries. Also, there is a small college that is housed by the building. A big characteristic that many tourists find interesting is the terrace on the 30th floor, which is 114 meters high, in where a panoramic view of the city can be seen. In Warsaw, you can spot the building from thirty kilometers away because of the height and at night various colors of light are shown onto the building making it stand out more. By: Mikaela and Mckenna