Błękitny Wieżowiec

Blue Skyscraper
Błękitny Wieżowiec (Polish)
Interactive map of the Blue Skyscraper area
Former namesZłoty Wieżowiec (Golden Tower)
General information
TypeOffice
LocationWarsaw, Poland, Plac Bankowy 2, Śródmieście
Coordinates52°14′39″N 21°00′08″E / 52.244129°N 21.00226°E / 52.244129; 21.00226
Construction started1966
Completed1991
Height
Height100 m (330 ft)[1]
Antenna spire120 m (390 ft)
Technical details
Floor count27
Floor area23,545 m2 (253,440 sq ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectsJerzy Czyż, Andrzej Skopiński, Jan Furman, Lech Robaczyński, Marzena Leszczyńska

The Blue Skyscraper colloquially known as Polish: Błękitny Wieżowiec is a high-rise office building located in the Bank Square of Warsaw, Poland. Built between 1966 and 1991, the tower stands at 100 m (330 ft) tall with 27 floors and is the 46th tallest building in Poland.[2]

History

The building is located in the location previously occupied by Warsaw's largest synagogue, the Great Synagogue,[3] which was destroyed by the Germans in 1943 during World War II. Initial concepts for the construction of the skyscraper had been put forward in the 1950s, and construction began in the 1970s and was suspended shortly after the main structure was built. The unfinished construction was then often called the "golden tower" because of the colour of the facade.[4]

The skyscraper's construction took many years and was interrupted several times.[5] It began in February 1966, but one year later, due to missing documentation and doubts about the structural stability, construction was suspended.[6] In 1971, the building's design and investor were changed again (it was to be intended for the Polimex-Cekop foreign trade headquarters).[7] The construction of the tower resumed in 1974.[8] In 1980, the Presidium of the Government decided to change the building's intended use; it was to be transformed into an 850-bed hotel.[9] Construction was halted once again after the main structure was completed. In 1985, the unfinished investment was transferred to the capital city of Warsaw. Due to the original color of the facade, the building was nicknamed the "Golden Skyscraper".[10]

In April 1988, a contract for the completion of the construction was signed with the Yugoslav consortium Generalexport/Giposs.[10] The contract value was $40.5 million.[10] The copper-colored façade was replaced with an untinted reflective one, which on clear days reflects the blue sky (hence the current name). It was the first façade made of reflective float glass in Warsaw.[11]

The work was completed in 1991. The skyscraper is 120 meters high (including antenna masts) and has 27 above-ground storeys.[12]

Three floors of the skyscraper were handed over to the Jewish Community of Warsaw. The Great Synagogue is commemorated by an MSI plaque placed on the façade facing Tłomackie Street.[13]

The work resumed in the late 1960s and 1970s and was completed in 1981. The project was modified by a Belgrade-based company, replacing the copper-coloured facade with colourless reflective material, which gives a clear reflection of the sky (hence the current name, due to the building being blue during sunny weather). The skyscraper is 120 meters high and has 28 stories. Prominent former tenants include Peugeot and Sony. Both of these companies previously installed large signs on the building, which have since been taken down.[14]

The "curse" of the Rabbis

The record-breakingly long construction time was explained by a curse allegedly placed by Warsaw rabbis on the construction of a skyscraper on the site of the demolished Great Synagogue.[15][16] The history of the construction is depicted in the 1985 film I Stand Therefore I Am, starring Wiesław Drzewicz as the narrator, speaking in the first person on behalf of the skyscraper.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Blue Tower". CVU Skyscraper Center. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  2. ^ Błękitny Wieżowiec na urbanity.pl
  3. ^ "Błękitny Wieżowiec (dawniej Wielka Synagoga)" (in Polish). 2012-05-19. Archived from the original on 2014-08-04. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  4. ^ Fuchs 2016, p. 19.
  5. ^ "Wydarzenia warszawskie na łamach prasy w latach 1965−1966". Warszawski Kalendarz Ilustrowany Stolicy 1968. Wydawnictwo Warszawskiego Tygodnika „Stolica”: 122−123. 1967.
  6. ^ Fuchs 2016, p. 146.
  7. ^ Fuchs 2016, p. 154.
  8. ^ "Kronika wydarzeń w Warszawie 1 X–31 XII 1974". Kronika Warszawy. 2 (22): 177. 1974.
  9. ^ "Kronika wydarzeń w Warszawie 1 IV–30 IV 1980". Kronika Warszawy. 4 (44): 127. 1980.
  10. ^ a b c Fuchs 2016, p. 164.
  11. ^ Leśniakowska, Marta (2005). Architektura w Warszawie (in Polish). Warszawa: Arkada Pracownia Historii Sztuki. p. 159. ISBN 83-908950-8-0.
  12. ^ Leśniakowska, Marta (2002). Architektura w Warszawie 1989-2001 (in Polish). Warszawa: Arkada Pracownia Historii Sztuki. p. 153. ISBN 83-908950-5-6.
  13. ^ Fuchs 2016, p. 172–173.
  14. ^ "Opis budynku na www.wiezowce.waw.pl". wiezowce.waw.pl (in Polish). Wiezowce. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  15. ^ Majewski, Jerzy S. (2016). Przedmowa [w:] Jana Fuchs, Miejsce po Wielkiej Synagodze. Warszawa: Żydowski Instytut Historyczny. p. 17. ISBN 978-83-65254-08-5.
  16. ^ "redPor" (2002-02-19). "Historia Błękitny wieżowiec". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  17. ^ Stoję więc jestem at filmpolski.pl

Sources

  • Fuchs, Jana (2016). Miejsce po Wielkiej Synagodze (in Polish). Warszawa: Żydowski Instytut Historyczny. ISBN 978-83-65254-08-5.
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