Problems at the palace

For more than 50 years, Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) has sat at the heart of Warsaw. For many it is an uncomfortable, unsightly reminder of Poland's difficult history, but for those who take a more capitalist view, it represents a valuable, untapped real-estate asset.

A recent call to re-brand PKiN as an historic monument, a building worthy of affection and protection, readdresses the controversial debate surrounding the future of the Palace. The intention is that the 230-meter landmark may soon be placed on the national heritage register, as proposed by the conservator of historic buildings.

Designed by the architect Lew Rudniew in the 1950s, the building contains 42 storeys consisting of 2,300 rooms, amounting to a total area of 123,000 sqm. PKiN is currently home to more than 70 companies and organizations, including bars, theaters, cinemas and NGOs. If the PKiN were to be listed on the historic register, the recent plans to reconstruct the theater and congress halls would be blocked, as would any motion to reinvent the building as an apartment block.

As the development of the area surrounding the Palace gets underway, there is a danger that the building itself will fall into disrepair. Although many plans have been proposed for its environs, few architects have been willing to offer a solution for the Palace proper. Now could be just the time to decide whether to accept Stalin's 'gift' as it is, or to simply pass it on.

Victoria Baghdjian