Dream of Warsaw

The dream of Warsaw

When looking at those pictures, we could think that a new skyscraper, of similar height as the Palace of Culture, rose at Warsaw. Unfortunately, it is only an illusion. That "skyscraper" on the pictures is in fact only a dummy hanging on a tree. But it was situated only a few metres away from the window of Foksal Gallery Foundation, at Gorskiego street where the picture was taken from. And the Palace of Culture was much further - in the distance of about 750 metres. So that is what gave an impression that the objects are of similar height.

This untypical instalment, called "The dream of Warsaw" was arranged for a couple of months in 2005. It was an idea of Oskar Hansen, a well-known architected, who died soon later. He was a student of Le Corbusier and was an author of many unusual projects and conceptions. Among other things he was an author of an idea of so-called linear city. He designed also untypical buildings for international events in Izmir and Sao Paulo, a monument in Auschwitz (which was not put into life finally) and 'Przyczolek Grochowski' estate in Warsaw - a 1,5 km-long block of flats, consisting of 22 segments (it is situated in the district of Praga Poludnie, in the area of Braclawska, Opinogorska, Zymirskiego streets).

The aim of "The dream of Warsaw" was to show that Warsaw is stuck in one point because of Palace of Culture's domination. Hansen wanted to show that only a new, monumental building of unusual form can finish this domination. Off course, the architecture of such building could be completely different, the aim was only to point a problem. This idea was off course great! Only a new skyscraper, taller than the Palace of Culture, with unusual architecture could finally change the city's landscape and make the capital of Warsaw be recognized all around the World because of its symbol (such as Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London or Atomium in Brussels). We can only hope that such building will rise up eventually.