The sweeping new public square near the landmark Palace of Culture and Science offers residents and visitors a peaceful green escape in one of the city’s most recognisable locations.
Known as Plac Centralny (Central Square), the space sits between the Palace of Culture and Science and the new Museum of Modern Art and serves as the centrepiece of the capital’s ambitious New Centre of Warsaw redevelopment project.
Photo: PAP/Szymon Pulcyn
The site includes 102 newly planted trees, 550 shrubs, more than 81,000 perennial plants and bulbs, and 3,600 square metres of lawn.
Designed to be both modern and respectful of history, the layout follows the traces of prewar streets and buildings destroyed during World War II.
The nearly two-year project cost over PLN 61 million (EUR 14.2 million, USD 16.3 million) and is intended to bring nature, leisure and civic life back into a part of the city long dominated by empty concrete.
History with a new beginning
Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski inaugurated the plaza's opening on June 4, marking the 36th anniversary of Poland's first partially free elections after World War II. That landmark vote signalled the beginning of the end for communist rule in Poland after decades of totalitarian government.
“We are handing over Plac Centralny, which I hope will become the green heart of Warsaw,” Trzaskowski said.
Speaking at the launch, his first public appearance since losing Poland's presidential election, Trzaskowski thanked supporters and called the plaza a milestone for the capital.
Warsaw's answer to Central Park - with a local twist
The square also links up with a nearby park at the junction of Świętokrzyska and Marszałkowska Streets, forming a continuous green corridor in the heart of the capital - a feature that has already led some locals to draw comparisons, half-seriously, to New York's Central Park.
Photo: PAP/Szymon Pulcyn
Photo: PAP/Szymon Pulcyn
Photo: PAP/Szymon Pulcyn
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Source: X/@warszawa/@trzaskowski_