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Week 2 [09.03-15.03.20] Warsaw Skyscrapers


When we think about the architecture of Europe, skyscrapers are not the first thing that come to our mind. The most famous skyscraper cities, like New York, Shanghai or Dubai are obviously not in Europe, but it would be a mistake to say that there is absolutely no single city with a lot of skyscrapers. We can find them in at least two districts of London (City of London, Canary Wharf), in La Défense district of Paris, or in the centre of Frankfurt. Of course, they are not as impressive as American, or Asian metropolises, but there is nothing to be ashamed of. Especially we – citizens of Warsaw have nothing to be ashamed of, because our city is among those with relatively big number of skyscrapers.

The first building in Warsaw that deserves to bear the name “skyscraper” is “Prudential” built before the second world war, during which it was severely damaged to be rebuilt in 1954. After being abandoned for a long time, it was recently restored and reopened as a “Warsaw” hotel in 2018.

Source: Wikipedia

Another example is well known by everybody who has ever seen a picture of Warsaw. One of the symbols of Warsaw – The Palace of Culture and Science, the icon of social realism, built in 1955 is still the highest building in Warsaw (and Poland of course), but it is going to change as soon as the currently constructed “Varso” tower (soon to be the highest building in EU) exceeds its height. A fun fact is that even though The Palace of Culture is the highest building in Warsaw, it is not the highest construction, because the chimney of the Kawęczyn heating plant is actually even higher.

Source: Wikipedia

“Varso” Source: varso.com

The number of skyscrapers in Warsaw is too big to describe them all. Every one of them has interesting history, especially those built a long time ago, such as “Centrum LIM”, well known by the name of “Marriot” hotel, or the Novotel Warszawa Centrum which was built using modern construction technology by the Swedish company. I strongly encourage to read a little bit about them and the others.

At the end I would like to mention about the quickest developing part of Warsaw in terms of skyscrapers which is located around the Daszyński roundabout. If you have never visited that place, you should pay it a visit, because it is probably the best example of how fast the city of Warsaw develops, as the surroundings are now totally different than they used to be a couple of years ago.

Source: Urbanity.pl

I must say that Warsaw skyline looks so much better than those of a lot of big European cities, even the capitals, like Berlin. I am very proud of it and if we add other factors like its overall size, population, the presence and development of the metro system and not so bad tram network, it would not be an exaggeration if I say that Warsaw is the best place to live in Poland, leaving its competition far behind. If I had to leave Warsaw, I’d prefer to leave Poland at all.

  1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
  2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
  3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?


Comments

1. We will all agree that Warsaw looks unusual at the background of other Polish cities. This is the only city in Poland where you can feel as if you were in Western Europe and you can really see it here. Only here in Poland are huge skyscrapers, office buildings. Warsaw is becoming the most important business center of Eastern Europe. Due to the fact that the areas are very expensive here, it is not built in breadth, but upwards. This means that skyscrapers are visible next to the traditional tenements that have existed for years.

2. If I could, I would remove ads and huge banner ads. I think that rude ads, terrible displays - give the impression of a shoddy, it makes the city lose its character, its charm. In addition, I would take care of building new green places - including regular estate pay and football fields, which are lacking in Warsaw.

3. If I could I would probably choose Krakow. I think it is a beautiful city, with numerous monuments, a large old town and history. In this respect, Warsaw does not have these advantages. Although there was such a possibility, I would still show Zakopane, Wieliczke. I think that the journey to the interior of the salt mine is certainly the author: he remembered for a long time.
Thank you for the rich comment. I absolutely agree with your description presented in the first point and the second as well. I hate those ads and I wish they were removed. The area in the city centre is expensive - as you said, but in spite of that, new skyscrapers are often kinda smallish. I mean - 130m is not that high and there are plenty of such buildings. Varso Tower is going to be ok, but it is just a single case unfortunately. Ideally, there should be much more much higher buildings. The more you have, the more you want.
1. It is noteworthy that the capital city in opposition to other cities in Poland was almost entirely ruined after the Second World War and rebuilt quickly by the then communist government. As a result, different areas of Warsaw represent various architectural concepts. In my opinion the architectural chaos is still noticeable, especially when next to old tenement houses made of red bricks there are fully glassed buildings.
Also, the number of skyscrapers in center of Warsaw is growing really quickly, that is why sometimes their density in one place like Daszynskiego roundabout is overwhelming.

2. In my opinion Warsaw’s government should focus on creating green spaces such as parks and town squares. The fact is that skyscrapers are built very close to each other and the space between them is concreted which affects negatively on environment. I am afraid that area close to Daszynskiego roundabout imitates another district, jokingly called Mordor. Since 1990 there has gone up many office buildings which caused such problems as big traffic jams in rush hours or difficulties in commuting by public transport. Moreover, after working hours, this area is becoming completely empty and therefore potentially dangerous.

3. As the previous speaker mentioned, Cracow is a city definitely worth to visit. In the past it was the second capital city of Poland. In opposition to Warsaw, huge part of that city is historical and there you will find many monuments with unusual stories. Last but not least, near to Cracow there are two unique places – Wieliczka salt mine which is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO and the Auschwitz concentration camp with painful but enlightening story of millions killed during The Holocaust.
Viktor Ryś said…

1. In my opinion the architecture style of Warsaw is very chaotic. It doesn't have one defining characteristic. The mixture of building types is especially seen in the Śródmieście district, where flats meet tenement houses and high-rise buildings all on the same street. The skyscrapers are definitely the prettier side of Warsaw and I'm glad that the in the recent years a lot of new ones were build, but the city plannist should put more thought into making the city more architecture more uniform.

2. The answer is not realted to buildings but I don't like how Warsaw during rush hour has big traffic jams. The road infrastructure in the city center should be changed to limit the congestion in effect leaving more place available for pedestrians and public transport. That way I believe the city center would change from a noisy not pleasant place to being a good place to spend free time.

3. In my opinion a Polish city that is a little bit off the beaten tourist path is Wrocław. It has great historical architecture, restaurants and quite a bit cultural events during the year. A fun way to discover the city is to find little statues of gnomes, Wroclaw has over 400 of them and each one is different, most of them have an association with the place where they are located. Also SkyTower has the highest public viewpoint at about 200m n.p.m. so the city can be admired from above too.
1. Warsaw looks good in the centre, where the skyscrapers are being built. However, some of the buildings in Warsaw are old and neglected and it is visible when we don't follow main streets.
2. I have to agree with Daniel Trzaskoma, that big number of advertisements and banners is overwhelming and, simply, ugly. The lack of style in all of them, the size and overall quality does create terrible feeling.
3. Warsaw is a nice place to have some fun, but visiting it makes sense only in summer. My opinion is that boulevards next to Vistula are the first place that everyone should see in the evening. The number of people and the climate is absolutely amazing. Next city that is worth visiting is Kraków. The history of it is very interesting as it was a capital of Poland before. I think architecture there is more eye-catching and might make a good memory for a visitor.
Ela said…
1. When I was a little girl I associated Warsaw mainly with the Old Town and Łazienki Park. Today, Warsaw has become a European city, full of skyscrapers, vibrant with life all day and all night. Warsaw is getting prettier every year. I love everything about it and I can't imagine living in another city.
2. Traffic jams irritate me the most in Warsaw. If I could I would try to create new streets and more parking spaces. It would be good to develop parks such as the Pole Mokotowskie to make them more friendly.
3. Despite the fact that I love Warsaw, I would recommend Krakow. This city has a beautiful Old Town. The monuments are very close to it. Visiting this city is interesting because there are many legends about Krakow - the legend of the Wawel dragon or a knife hanging in the Cloth Hall. Everyone will find something for themselves and learn a lot about Polish history.
Olga Przytula said…
1. I’m not the big fan of our architecture. It’s unplanned, clutched and totally amorphous. I do like the region of the Old Town and basically every quarter with parks and green spaces. Nevertheless, considering the fact, that everything in Warsaw was rebuilt from the scratch after the World War II, I don’t think we should complain. It is really impressive that we, as a society, have managed to give a new lease of life to Warsaw so quickly.

2. I am aware of the fact, that it would be impossible, but I would love to have more parks and green areas throughout the whole Warsaw, not only on the outskirts of the city or in few of the quarters. I would also love to see more of the pre-war architecture, buildings with stories from the past and memories from the long-gone people.

3. I think I would recommend Poznan. I do love this city, but it’s hard for me to exactly explain why. It is very intuitive for me to move around in it, I know these streets and this town like the back of my hand. I do adore the fact, that there are parks and green squares everywhere, and they are adapted to the needs of habitants. Second place I would recommend, but maybe to you, not to a foreigner is Lodz. I am really impressed by how they have managed to recast all the old, unused but truly beautiful buildings into cultural facilities. It’s a bit forgotten and neglected city with interesting history. Plus, they have cool graffiti’s there ;)
Grzegorz Rostek said…
1. Personally, I like the way Warsaw looks, or at least it's centre. I'm a huge fan of modern architecture, and because of it, I love seeing more and more skyscrapers being built. Of course, there are other parts of Warsaw that look absolutely stunning, like Old Town. Although, as I have mentioned before, I'm a fan of modern architecture, I can appreciate older types of architecture as well. Being close to the Warsaw's centre, Old Town is a great contrast between two very different types of architecture, that i think are both worth of appreciation.

2. I wouldn't want to change the way Warsaw looks, but i would like to see all the old buildings, especially the ones in parts of town other than centre, being renovated. It's really hearthbreaking to see so many building in such a poor contidion.

3. Of course I would recommend Warsaw. First of all, it's the capital city of Poland, which on it's own is a great attracion. Secondly, there is a lot of museums in Warsaw. I would also recommend Cracow. I've been there only twice in my life, but i would never forget the stunning Old Town of Cracow. For me it's a must see.
Anastasiia Bida said…
1. Nowadays Warsaw is a mixture of diverse architectural styles. It is a fairly clean and well-groomed city. In recent decades, the panorama of the city has been enriched by modern skyscrapers and business centers. There are interesting skyscrapers in the city center like the Warsaw Spire or the Palace of Culture and Science. I especially like them in the evening, when they are lit. But I prefer the architecture of the old city more with its cozy streets and historical buildings.

2. Like others, I would like to see more green spaces, gardens, trees in Warsaw, especially in the center. Also, I don’t like the tasteless signs and storefronts on historic buildings. For me, it is unaesthetic and spoils the look of the city.

3. I am a foreigner myself. I have been living in Warsaw for six months as a student. And so far I have not been to other cities in Poland. Therefore, I can hardly advise something. But I have read the comments above and I would like to visit Krakow and Poznan in the future.
Bartosz Barnat said…
1. I really like the way Warsaw looks. I think it doesn't have a lot of skyscrapers but because of that it looks kinda clean and you can focus on the ones that are there. When it comes to other buildings I like them too but I don't like the ones that looks like they are about to break in a next second. There is a lot of this type of buildings on the suburbs of Warsaw.

I would change the suburbs as I said above. The second thing that I think Warsaw lacks is something like a park in the center of Warsaw ( as it is for example in New York ). I think it would be really beautiful and a great place to relax.

I would recommend Rzeszów. I think it have changed a lot for the past few years and it is really clean. It has a lot of trees and many added adorns.
Karol Michalak said…
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
It disgusting. It works as sauna during the time between May and September making it hard to function on daily basis. Also most of them are just concrete and glass and because of them everyone looks almost identical. There is little diversity in them.

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
I would plant a lot more trees and green plants. Like 1000% times if not more. This city really lacks green space. We would really benefit from it. More clean air, more shadow during warm months to relax and chill. Also it would began to be beautiful. Imagine a whole green skyscraper how magnificant it could look. People usually believe nature is really stunning, not some man made stones.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
There are many cities it truly depend what a person would like to see. If some historical building propably Cracow, Poznan or Wroclaw. If they won't more nature oriented then some a bit more peaceful town like Polańczyk in Bieszczady mountains or Giżycko.
1. I don't think skyscrapers are a symbol of Warsaw. There are many architectural styles - based on pre-var, communist, modern. When it comes to my favorite places, I like the Old Town in Warsaw, Łazienki Królewskie and Królikarnia the most. I don't pay attention to the buildings I pass by.
2. Due to the fact that I like walking and spending time outside, I would like to see more parks in Warsaw. My favorite type of building is a tenement house, so I would like new blocks to be built in this style.
3. Before moving to Warsaw, I lived in Wrocław and in my opinion it is the most interesting, friendly and most attractive Polish city for tourists. On the other hand, it is a post-German town so the architecture is different than in the other parts of the country.
Yeah, that may be the case that the Daszyńskiego roundabout would eventually face the same problems as mordor, but unlike mordor, there is a metro station, which changes a lot, if not everything in terms of transport. Cracow is worth visiting for sure, but at the same time, some aspects of that city are just incomparable to their Warsaw equivalents. One of those aspects is public transport which is very important in cities as big as Cracow, however there is no subway system of any kind (fast tram is not enough) and the way the trams go through the streets, on the same lane with cars, make them very inefficient. So, for tourists - definitely a place to visit, but for living - absolutely not. That's my subjective preference of course.
It's nice to read that someone else likes skyscrapers. I admit that it might be a little chaotic, but I also think that the more skyscrapers, the better, because higher density of high, modern buildings should eventually overwhelm and hide the neglected, dwarfish buildings. If we talk about chaos, the SkyTower in Wrocław is a very good example :) Those gnomes all around the city are quite unusual. I don't know if something like this exists in any other city. Definitely a great idea to make the city more attractive. Something friendly and funny instead of dignified monuments of people.
I agree - deifinitely advertisements are the worst part of everything - architecture and media. I think that they should dissapear. Buildings at the main streets are neglected too. We can find ugly, old blocks and houses right next to the modern skyscrapers, even in the city centre. It's impossible to fix everything at once unfortunately. Our economy is not strong enough yet, and I'm afraid it would never be. Vistula boulevards are very nice indeed. One of my favourite places to drink :)
I am so happy to read comments like this! I love Warsaw as well and I feel irritated while listening to people complaining about it all the time. Especialy those, who don't live here, don't pay taxes here, but use everything Warsaw has for them. Hatred towards Warsaw makes me love it even more. More parking spaces - yes, of course! But some people would prefer to ban cars at all, especialy city activists, bicycle fanatics, who keep succeeding at the devastation of the invincible city, rebuild after the war with such a toil.
Yes, it is very impressive that those people back then managed to rebuild a city, which was totally destroyed. I agree about Łódź. It's worth to mention that it is the most "Warsaw" city in Poland. The tables with the street names follow the same design (it was granted by the president of Warsaw some time ago), there are ticket vending machines that sell Warsaw tickets and even post-Warsaw buses with Warsaw upholstering and information system which was neither replaced with the proper one, nor disabled, which is sad and funny at the same time :)
You are the first person who chose Warsaw as the first place recommendation. I appreciate that, thank you! No one knows what Poland looks like, until you visit Warsaw. That's the only true evidence of our development. Some time ago, a couple of people from various countries of Europe visited our office in Warsaw for a business meeting. Some of them has been to Poland before, but not in Warsaw, but mostly in Cracow. They were surprised to see so many skyscrapers here. Such a view changes our perception by the foreigners.
I am really glad that the first city you have seen in Poland is Warsaw. It's nice to hear that you like our skyscrapers. You are right about those signs and storefronts - they should dissapear.
1. If we talk about the appearance of Warsaw in the context of the center, I really like Warsaw. The skyscrapers are not very close together so there is no lack of space. Office buildings have blended in nicely with our city and personally I would not want anything to change.

2. As I mentioned above, I would like not to change anything. However, if I had an impact on what I'm building, I would like to see a "Polish central park" around the Palace of Culture.

3. There can be only one answer - Cracow. Beautiful tenement houses, a large market square, a wide river and the city is located near the Wieliczka mine. Personally, I was probably in each of the major Polish cities and none of them impressed me as much as Krakow.
Hello, here are my replies for your questions.

1. Personally, I think that Warsaw looks a bit chaotic when it comes to the architecture. I do however know the reason for that and I truly respect what designers did to our capital city in order to make it look modern. I like skyscrapers and they make me feel like I live in the First World. I also appreciate buildings like the Palace of Culture even though it's a relict of the communism - never the less it's still a monument of the past and should be preserved.

2. If I could, I'd definitely restore some older buildings since some of them look like they could use a renovation. Other than that - I don't think there are many things that require changes apart from always welcomed modernizations (without destroying cultural monuments that is).

3. If I were to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, I'd pick Zamość. It's a beautiful, medieval city which shows how great of a nation Poland used to be. Not mentioning many historical and cultural monuments which you can visit there. Just walking through the old town of that city can bring you enough experiences for the entire day.
Yubin said…
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?

I think Warsaw is very eclectic city with a mix of architecture of different styles - from neo-clacissism to social realism. It makes the city one of a kind and it allows visitors to see history of this place. There is not much skyscrapers in Warsaw, compared to other cities in the world, but they give the capital a modern look. I hope there will be more of them in the future.

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?

I think what destroys city aesthetics is too much outdoor advertising. Adds are chaotic and a lot of them cover city's architectural masterpieces. It shouldn't be allowed. If I could, I would restrict advertising or at least make it more eye-pleasing and harmonic with the cityscape.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?

I would recommend few cities I've been to. Warsaw is good to enjoy modern and also historical side of Poland, but there are nice places such as Gdansk as well. Personally I enjoyed Zakopane a lot because mountains and nature are very beautiful there.
Maciej Sadoś said…
As a person that generaly don't like cities (sorry Marcin :)) I must admit that there are certainly some beautiful views in Warsaw. First one that I can recall is the view from Poniatowski Bridge when you look at the stadium and Vistula River. The other one is definitely the panorama from the Palace of Culture's terrace. For me it's fine that Warsaw builds so much new skyscreapers - we will have a more western looking capital city of which we can be proud about.

I think I don't spend so much time in Warsaw to be the right person to even wonder about this. But from my perspective, I as a train commuter would probably like train stations to be somehow modernized/renovated to look more "up to date" and be more friendly to the passengers.

It would probably be Zakopane or Wroclaw. I've been to many polish cities and I can't really tell why but Wroclaw is the place that always come to my mind when I think of the most beautiful cities here.
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
In general Warsaw looks better than other cities of Poland and I think some parts of Warsaw looks good such as "rondo daszyńskiego" which is improving in term of architecture. Although the graffiti and advertisement billboards in every 100m makes the city less attractive and some buildings need renovation or at least painting.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?

I would recommend Krakow because of it cultural uniqueness and strong historical background.
Andrzej Kawiak said…
What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
In Warsaw, I like socialist realist architecture the most. The name socialist realism (socialist realism) was first used in the Soviet press in 1932. The most characteristic feature of socialist realist buildings was their monumentalism, regularity and symmetry, expressed in the arrangement of plans and appearance of facades. The most important feature is the comfort of use... Such buildings are comfortable to live in. I don't like the ideology on the basis of which socialist realism grew up.

If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
I don't know what I'd change. I don't go to Warsaw very often. And when I am, I know the way from the station to the university.
If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
For historical reasons, Polish cities have developed in other directions. This development was also influenced by various trends. They were also affected to varying degrees by the wave of destruction. I think that every part of Poland is worth a visit.
1.What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
Yes I like it. It is not something spectacular for me but it looks quiet nice. Some cities have skycrapers so ugly or just not placeable in a sourrounding of others buildings.
2.If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
I would change the city for more eco friendly. More trees, central park, clean and quiet place. It is very hard to achevie in old cities those things but Warsaw is doing quite good compare to others big cities.
3.If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
Definitely Cracow. It is tourist-friendly city with many awesome places to visit. Always when I travell to Cracow, I can hear foreign poeple everywhere but not here in Warsaw.
What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?

Yes, I do. Some people might consider modern Warsaw as soulless but I am not one of those people.

If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?

I would get rid of all of the broken and ruined buildings or at least renovated them.

If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?

Warsaw is unique and worth seeing, that's for sure. If not Warsaw - Cracow is a great destination.
Adam Tokarczyk said…
1. I think, that there's actually no 'bigger vision' about how our city is supposed to look like. It's as if every developer says he wants to do something, gets approve without any consideration, and proceeds to make yet another odd building. Some places look good despite such development, but others on the other hand are simply hideous. With time though, maybe our 'modernistic chaos' will start to look better, as there will be more buildings that 'don't fit' scenery, and it won't stand out that much.

2. It would be very hard to do, but improving traffic is something Warsaw, and many other cities, could do. Although city won't look better from it, city expansion always lead to bigger traffic, and it's something that we should counteract beforehand even at the cost of design.

3. Aside from Warsaw, which I love, I'd probably go with Cracow. While Warsaw is great place to visit and live, it's not really that alluring from tourist point of view. Cracow on other hand has very beautiful Old Town, in my opinion much superior to Warsaw one, lots of tightly condensed attractions which we can see even one after another, and most important thing - it's directed towards tourists.
1.What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
I think Warsaw becomes cities like a New York. Scyscrapers fit well to cities wchich don't have historical buildings,
so i think they go great with Warsaw. Why i think so? becouse city was completely destroyed by World War II and was deprived of monuments buildings.
For summary, I like our skyscrapers and other Warsaw architecture becouse fit well and very phenomenal.
2.If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
Hmmm, in my opinian i will add a central park which would surround "Palace of Culture and Science". Maybe more climatic places for dinner.
3.If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
I would definitely recommend Krakow. Why? Its really nice place to see hitoric buildings, visit the old town and see the royal castle with the crypt.
I think Warsaw is really great city. Thing that I like the most is space. There is a lot of space everywhere, roads are quite wide and buildings are not that close to each other. Also, Warsaw is really quite clean. I was already in few other European capitals and these cities are much more claustrophobic and much dirtier than Warsaw. We don’t have many skyscrapers but those we have are quite pretty and there are looking good in panorama of our city. If I could change something in Warsaw it would probably be old, boring, gray cube buildings and change them into newer style of architecture. If anyone asks me what city in Poland I recommend, it would be definitely Warsaw. I was in other Polish cities and some of them are cool some of them a bit less but still for me Warsaw is the best. Maybe it’s sentiment, maybe it just fits my taste, I don’t really know but Warsaw is awesome.
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
I’m a little biased because I was born and raised in Warsaw, so of course I love this city, I love how it looks and I love how it is developing. I don’t mind skyscrapers, I think it’s natural for a growing city to have more and more of them.

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
I would definitely ban the billboards and huge advertisements in city centre, they are the biggest pain in the eye for me.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
I’d like to say that I would recommend Warsaw, but honestly I’d probably recommend Wroclaw, as it’s better for sightseeing.
Maciej Szczypek said…
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
I think it looks fine comparing it to other capital cities in Europe. It is really clean and is getting more and more modern. I like the skyscrappers as well as old, neat buildings. The only architecture I purely hate are those block of flats built in the Polish People's Republic era.

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
I would remove the block of flats I mentioned above.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
Definitely Warsaw and Wroclaw. Maybe also Krakow which I personally do not like at all, but it seems to be attractive for tourists from abroad.
Rafał Halama said…

1. I like how it looks when I am going back home in the evening after the sunset. However, during the day when I experience this irritating wind and high temperature caused by bad placement of Warsaw's buildings, it becomes quite the opposite. I must say though, skyscrapers make every city look much better, so our capital is really benefiting from the common presence of them.

2. When I stroll through our capital town the thing I am mostly missing is trees. They would be really helpful during summers by giving us cold shadows that cover us from the sun. Moreover, it would help make our city look less barren. I know there are some places where the trees are present in our town, but if it were more common, that would be a nice change.

3. I have been to many cities in Poland, but honestly speaking I forgot how all of them look. I am not really a person that likes to indulge in sightseeing activities so the architecture can easily escape from my mind. If I recommended one city thought, I would choose the Radom as I have eaten there the best toasted cheese sandwiches of my life. I also liked the presence of wide sidewalks, it made the walking very peaceful.
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
It is a difficult question, because the architecture of Warsaw is different in districts. I like buildings in Warsaw when they have some common details. I like the city center and the old "Praga", but most of districts was built just to be built without any idea. They do not have any character of the place and it is sad. I like the skyscrapers I find it very beautiful .

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
As i said before, I would recommend to be consistent. It is a first rule of good urban developer. And propably the most imporant. How big and beautiful the new building will be, without integrity with surrounding it will be terrible.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
I have been probably in every bigger city in Poland and definitely I would recommend Warsaw and Cracow. These 2 cities is a must have to be in Poland. They can show a lot about the history of Poland, current direction in urban development, and there are a lot of interesting events.
1 / Warsaw really surprised me regarding the architecture and size of the city, they are very impressive. I like the architecture of the old city and the very business center of Warsaw.
2 / I think that it would be possible to structure a little the small streets and distant streets of the city, making a restructuring and some cosmetic repairs.
3 / In my little experience traveling in Poland, I can recommend Lodz, Krakow and Warsaw.
1. I think that architecture of Warsaw is very mixed up and therefore, unique. When I stroll down the street in the city centre sometimes I look at big, old block of flats that remember PRL with disgust but the way the correspond with the new architecture and buildings is something that you won't see that often in Western Europe. That is very cool and it makes our city special.
2. The city could be better planned. There should me more green spaces, parks etc. For example Plac Defilad is a perfect place for nice big park, something like Central Park. I would also limit the number of cars in the city centre and after that widen pavements for pedestrians and narrow the streets where it would be possible and meaningful.
3. I would definitely recommend Warsaw. This is the city I live in and know best. There are many museums and fun places to go. At the summer sitting on Bulwary Wiślane is always great way to spend time. Also there are many places where you can go for a nice walk. In addition, there are many great places with food and for tourists that is very important.
Kgajewska said…
1. I really like the Warsaw looks - especially the center. The mix of old architecture and modern skyscrapers is sometimes stunning.

2. the most heartbreaking thing for me is seeing some not renovated old town houses with such potential to become truly beautiful. I would like to change these neglected buildings and maybe add more green places.

3.I would recommend Warsaw for sure and maybe Cracow.
Maciej Górczak said…
In my humble opinion Warsaw looks better than 15 years ago, but still there is some space for improvement. Of course our capitol city is rather 'young' when it comes to architecture and only part of it was rebuilt the same way it looked back in the beginning of XX century. With that being said, I would like to say that I do not like Warsaw's architecture. It could be cleaner and connected with our history a bit more.

If I could change something, I would put more pressure on building citizen-friendly streets, that are created for people and not for cars. This is one of the biggest problems in Warsaw - everything is gray in strict city center. In majority we have only few trees near the streets and when our city architects are planning new spaces on Warsaw's map, they always put a lot of pressure on the strict design, rather than greenish part of our human life.

When my friends from abroad are visiting Poland I am always spending time with them in Warsaw (sometimes Krakow). If they couldn't meet me on their trip, I would definitely recommend them visiting Wroclaw as I think it is the most adorable city in Poland.
1. I like the view from the lazienkowski bringe on the warsaw city center. It is a nice view of the warsaw skyscrapers. Besides skycrapers i like architecture in districts like Zoliborz, Saska Kepa and Old Mokotow.
2. If I could I would do something with old blocks of flats build in PRL. They look very bad and I think they spoil the way Warsaw looks.
3. If I had to recommend a city to visit it would be Warsaw, because it’s my birth city and I like it very much and I know how to get around and where to eat and it is very pleasurable for me.
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?

I really like the way Warsaw looks. It's natural, it's vibrant, it's real. It's the city were we can find everything we could possible imagine. I am in love of sight of expensive, huge skycrappers projected by the world leading architects next to cheap, old flats built in soviet era. It's showing that this city is living organism.

2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?

I would change nothing. The beauty of this city comes from its nature. It's like francenstein. Every pieces are diffrent but it's living thing and if we look deeper it's great connection of everything without artificial fasades.

3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?

Warsaw. It's showing all sections of polish society. It's living example of polish history. Perhaps it isn't piece of art in most common terms of beauty but it's beauty becouse of its internal natue.
Mr Daniel Libeskind an architect that is responsible for the Złota 44 building once said something like: Warsaw is so chaotic that this chaos will eventually make a pattern. I wholeheartedly agree with him. I like some of the buildings, other not so much, but the biggest issue is that they all don't fit each other... maybe they will someday!

I would make laws enforcing colour and style appearance according to each warsaw district. Have you ever been to Florence, Siena or Paris? All of those cities have strong laws about the issue and that is what makes them look amazing! Siena is so well known for its colour integrity that there is even a colour named after the city!

I live in Warsaw so I would prefer my foreign buddy to visit me here! I would have more place to show him/her in my home city. However, I think that the prettiest city in Poland is Wroclaw. It was built as a German city, so it has german style and precision, however, it is also a very informal city, fit for strolls and partying.
Angelika Dutt said…
I don't like how Warsaw looks like, I'm a strong supporter of more classic and old cities, without a lot of skyscrapers. Unfortunately, the destruction of the Second World War is impossible to erase, and the architecture of those times will not return.

I think I wouldn't change anything in the look of Warsaw, because this is my city where I grew up. I just have feelings for it.

If I were to recommend cities to visit, I am definitely a fan of Krakow and Wroclaw, they are beautiful cities! Definitely more old buildings and most of all the special atmosphere that Warsaw has lost.
Aneta Artych said…
What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
The way Warsaw looks is okay and is specific to this city. There is no sense to create new look because some people think that. Anyone doesn't force someone to live in this city. Warsaw has it own atmosphere and it is fine. I can't say if I like it or hate it. It is just okay in my opinion.
If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
Nothing as I've described in the first question.
If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
For sure Warsaw as it is the capital of Poland and there are a lot of places to see or visit. Warsaw also has a pleasure to have the most important monuments and antiques in the museums that are totally worth to see.

I like the look of Warsaw, but I think it is very gray in some parts of this city. In other parts of our capital there is little greenery :(
I consider all underground constructions to be positive. Our skyscrapers look 90% very good and are nicely arranged. You can see that the designers did a good job.
If I were to recommend a foreigner a city in Poland to visit, I would recommend Warsaw because I know the most about it and there is literally everything here (cinemas, theaters, shops, etc.). Anyway in my opinion Warsaw is a cool place to live :D
1. What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
I prefer historical parts of Warsaw like old city, Łazienki or palace in Wilanów but I must admit that I also like some new skyscrapers like “Sail” or the one you showed “Varso” what I don’t like are old post communistic block/offices they are simple, grey and dirty in one word ugly.
2. If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
If I could change something in the look of Warsaw, I would add more greenery like parks or square, add more underground parking’s and maybe demolish several buildings to widen the roads maybe then there would be lees traffic jams.
3. If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
If I had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner it would be Kraków because there are many historical attractions like Wieliczka, Wawel Castle, Dragon Den and many more. Next would be Old City in Warsaw and in summer Gdańsk there are many attractions and there is also the sea and the beach where you can relax after sightseeing.
1.
I love Warsaw, its stories, style and of course this modern note in the form of skyscrapers. In Warsaw, you can feel this substitute of western big cities, here you just feel "this something".

2.
I think that I would not make any changes here. Maybe except that more attention should be paid to green areas. Of course there are parks in Warsaw, but there could be more such green places throughout Warsaw. However, in Warsaw, although it is not related to architecture, only traffic jams are scary, which are independent of the time of day. I think that if this problem disappeared, the city would be almost perfect.

3.
I would recommend Warsaw without preservation. As I mentioned, I love this city, it has a soul. You can not ignore the fact that Warsaw has been virtually completely destroyed and rebuilt in just seventy years, which is its great advantage. That is why there are so many places worth seeing in Warsaw. You can visit landmarks like the Old Town and various historical places. You can also relax even in the Łazienki Park and in the evening go crazy in clubs.
s18716 said…
What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?
In general, I like the urban architecture of Warsaw. Like the new buildings that you mentioned in your article, so are the oldest architectural monuments. I really like the old style more, so I like walking around places where you can enjoy old buildings and streets, such as in the Old Town or in the central side streets of Warsaw. In addition to skyscrapers and old architectural buildings, I would also emphasize some high-tech office buildings. They also look very attractive.

If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?
There are some areas where there are a lot of similar structures. This is, in principle, the problem of large cities in the world. When a large number of people need to provide housing in a short time. So, if there was an opportunity, I would somehow diversify precisely these areas cities. As a rule, such areas are located on the outskirts of the city well or somewhere not in the center.

If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?
I myself am a foreigner in Poland, so I can say which cities in Poland were recommended to me by local residents and my friends. Well, first of all, I often hear about Krakow, as its architecture and atmosphere are said to be really beautiful, and in general a city with a rich history and heritage. Further it is Gdansk, especially they tell me that it is good in summer. And Wroclaw, the last time I heard about him, they told me that it was very cozy there during the Christmas holidays.
What do you think about the way Warsaw looks? Do you like our skyscrapers and other architecture?

I like how Warsaw looks, I think the path, which local government decided to go and how Warsaw should look like is great and interesting.

If you could, what would you change in the look of Warsaw?

To be honest, I don't know. I have never thought about it. Maybe I would do it more bright and make all the districts to have their own must-have style/colour/symbol.

If you had to recommend a city to visit in Poland to a foreigner, which one would it be and why?

I would recommend Warsaw and Krakow. Like the old-fashion Krakow, with its old town and dragon etc, and the new, modern and interesting Warsaw.
Jakub Kisiała said…
1. I love Warsaw. I really like its style, it's some kind of postcomunism cozy dirty cover the walls and windows of buildings in central district.
2. There is many old buildings in the suburbs which provides their history about this city. I.e. old silos for gas at Wola district, They are gorgeous. It could be a museum or even some cool restaurant, but for now there is a plan to destroy them.
3. I think Cracov and Warsaw from Polish cities, but beauty of Poland is't in cities but on village.
1.I think that Warsaw looks very good and above all modern and is the only one in Poland to have a subway.What's more Warsaw is a worthy representative as a capital city compared to other Polish cities. In my opinion, there should be more skyscrapers and modern architecture, so that the city looks like a big metropolis.I personally like big cities and metropolises where I can feel anonymous. I think it's normal that cities are getting bigger and bigger and growing.

2.In Warsaw I would add more skyscrapers that have a connection with greenery like in Singapore. I might add more subway stations to make moving around Warsaw even easier.

3.I would definitely recommend Warsaw because it has many interesting places to visit, such as the old town. Another interesting place is Wroclaw, which has many parks where you can relax, has a giant zoo that takes all day long to explore. Both these cities are the most developed in Poland.

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