List of tallest buildings in Poland

This article is about the tallest skyscrapers in Poland. For the tallest structures in general, see List of tallest structures in Poland.

Skyline of Śródmieście, Warsaw
Skyline of Wola, Warsaw

Poland has 42 high-rise buildings that stand at least 100 metres (330 ft) tall,[1] being one of 17 countries in the world to have a supertall skyscraper (building that rises at least 300 m (980 ft)).[2]

The country's first high-rises started to be constructed in Warsaw, Katowice, Wrocław and Łódź in the first half of the 20th century. The PAST Building was the first such building in Poland. Built in 1908, it was at that time the tallest residential building in Europe at 51.5 metres (169 ft), as well as one of the earliest reinforced concrete structures of this type in the continent.[3] Other early high-rises include the Drapacz Chmur, in Katowice, and the Prudential, in Warsaw, which was in its completion in 1933 the tenth tallest building in Europe at 66 metres (217 ft).[4]

At the beginning of the post-war period, the 237-metre (778 ft) tall Palace of Culture and Science was built in the centre of Warsaw at the behest of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.[5][6] At the time of its completion in 1955, it was the eighth tallest building in the world and the second tallest in Europe, retaining these positions until 1961 and 1990, respectively.[7]

Poland saw a major increase in the number of high-rise buildings following its political transformation of 1989 and throughout the 21st century. Most of the country's tallest skyscrapers are located in the Śródmieście and Wola districts of Warsaw.[8] In Śródmieście, a cluster of skyscrapers is arranged around the centrally located Palace of Culture and Science. Since the 1970s the district's urban planning has been designed in a way that counterpoints the skyline domination by the Palace.[4]

The tallest building in Poland is currently the 310-metre (1017 ft) tall Varso Tower, in Warsaw, which is also the tallest building in the European Union and the sixth tallest building in Europe.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ "Poland". The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Countries by Number of 300m+ Buildings". The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  3. ^ Gajewski, Marian (1979). Urządzenia komunalne Warszawy. Zarys historyczny (in Polish). Warsaw: State Publishing Institute PIW. p. 28. ISBN 83-06-00089-7.
  4. ^ a b Kowalczyk, Ryszard; Skrzypczak, Jerzy; Olenski, Wojciech (2013). "Politics, History, and Height In Warsaw's Skyline" (PDF). Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  5. ^ Dawson, Andrew H. (1999). "From Glittering Icon to..." The Geographical Journal. 165 (2): 154–160. doi:10.2307/3060413. ISSN 0016-7398. JSTOR 3060413. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  6. ^ Jabłoński, Krzysztof (1984). "Kronika odbudowy, budowy i rozbudowy 1945–1982". Warszawa: portret miasta (in Polish). Warsaw: Arkady. ISBN 83-213-2993-4.
  7. ^ Białas, Adam (31 May 2023). "Miała być wieża, powstał pałac. Niezwykła historia Warszawy sprzed lat". Onet (in Polish). Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Skyscrapers will change the image of Warsaw". Focus on Business. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  9. ^ Parkes, James (26 October 2022). "Foster + Partners completes EU's tallest building in Warsaw". Dezeen. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  10. ^ Dowell, Stuart (14 September 2022). "Tallest building in EU officially opens to become 'new symbol of Warsaw'". The First News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  11. ^ McLaughlin, Katherine (26 October 2022). "The Tallest Building in the EU Was Just Completed in an Unexpected City". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.