This week the Economist has published an article wondering whether the number of skyscrapers is an accurate barometer for economic drive in the culture. "Only seven of the world's 1,000 tallest buildings are in the EU" its subheading reads with a slightly pro-Brexit tone (emphasis added).
The article mentions the symbolism of Warsaw's skyline which since 2021 has been dominated by the Varso Tower - deliberately constructed with a needle atop to exceed the height of the Palace of Culture.
Warsaw's Palace of Culture, seen below under construction in the 50s, was a "gift" to Poland from Joseph Stalin and followed the design of similar buildings in the Soviet Union:
Archival photo from 1953.
Naturally there has been strong opposition to this building, especially since 1989 when Poland finally freed itself from the Russian yoke. But Warsaw inhabitants - and tourists - have grown accustomed to the tower that looks like it was pulled out of Gotham City.
Debate was reignited in 2017 - a year before the centenary of Poland regaining its independence (following WWI in 1918). The public exchange between the then culture minister Piotr Gliński and today's foreign minister Radosław Sikorski - one of the most outspoken critics of the Palace of Culture - sounded like a game of one-upmanship "Who hates Stalin more?"
"I have nothing against demolishing the Palace of Culture," said Gliński. "I'm calling your bluff," replied Sikorski, "As the Minister of Culture, have you removed it from the protected list of heritage buildings?"
It is clear that even the kinds of competition involved in urban development can be much more diverse and locally specific than mere economics would suggest.
We spoke to architect Elżbieta Niedźwiecka, partner in N+ parametric design and the author of complex buildings in several countries including Poland and the US. She suggested that business may thrive without architecturally reaching for the skies, "Especially today with everyone working online, there just isn't the demand for skyscrapers in Poland."
Niedźwiecka explained that each city, not only each continent, has its own unique architectural story. New York, for instance, is a case where thriving business, lack of space and natural granite foundations have all combined to make the skyline what it is today.
One negative factor that does hold Poland back, however, is the lack of transparency in building permit processes. Poland still does not have a public land registry detailing what can and cannot be built in a given zone. So each project involves asking for individual local decisions - a recipe for local disputes and suspicions.
With a new law, however, requiring authorities to prepare and publish such zoning schemes by the end of 2025, the future is looking, if not bright then at least more transparent.
Sources: The Economist, Onet
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