The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw was conceived as a “gift from the Soviet people to the Polish nation”, and was completed in 1955. Architecturally, it is a mix of Stalinist architecture, also known as Socialist Classicism, and Polish historicism inspired by American art deco skyscrapers. While it did remind me of some of the classic old skyscrapers in New York (recall Ghostbusters), the socialist elements were dominant.
For a few Zloty one can take a manned elevator ride to the observation deck. The tallest building in Poland, it provides an unobstructed view of Warsaw.
While the building is now surrounded by the buildings of Warsaw, when it was completed it was surrounded mostly by rubble.
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