Over the course of more than 150 years, the railway station in Olsztyn has changed its appearance several times. First, an elegant building with an ornate façade gave way to a structure featuring a clock tower, and later to halls in the Modernist style. Today, travellers are greeted by a glass-fronted station with a roof resembling a sail. What has been the history of this building, and what circumstances led to its current form?
Olsztyn Railway Station – the beginning
The city’s first railway station was opened on 1 December 1872, coinciding with the opening of the Olsztyn–Czerwonka railway section, part of the emerging Toruń–Wystryki line. The then Allenstein was given a stately building on Bahnhofstrasse – now Partyzantów Street – some distance from the historic centre. The unplastered brick façades were adorned with cornices and regular divisions, whilst tall windows flooded the elegant interiors with light. The main entrance was situated in a projecting risalit featuring a balcony and a clock. From 1907, access to the station was facilitated by a new tram line.
Olsztyn and the Second World War
Olsztyn survived the Second World War unscathed until the Red Army entered the city in January 1945. The Russians deliberately destroyed and set fire to buildings, resulting in nearly half of the city’s buildings being reduced to ruins. On the night of 17–18 February 1945, the railway station burnt down. Its surviving outer walls were later used during the reconstruction, which was completed in 1948. The building regained its functionality, but its pre-war appearance was a thing of the past. The bricks were covered with plaster, the roofs were replaced, the façades were modified, and a clock tower rose above it all. This version of the station served travellers for around two decades. However, the rapidly growing city needed a larger facility to cater for passengers. Industrial development, including the opening of the Olsztyn Tyre Works in 1967, further increased transport demands.
Olsztyn railway station in a modernist style
On 30 December 1971, a new rail and bus complex, designed by a team led by Zygmunt Kłopocki, was opened on the site of the existing station. The 1948 building was replaced by simple forms, flat roofs and large windows in aluminium frames. The railway wing was approximately 96.5 m long, whilst the coach wing was approximately 59.5 m long. In 1973, the adjacent office block, towering over the surrounding area, was completed. The station’s interiors were finished with marble and washed concrete panels, whilst the walls were adorned with mosaics. The spacious halls and the shared passenger services for both PKP and PKS were among the building’s greatest advantages at the time.
The battle for the building
Over time, the station’s interior became filled with additional kiosks and market stalls, and the building fell into general disrepair, which diminished its original sense of spaciousness. When plans to demolish the dilapidated building finally emerged, the Olsztyn Development Forum, the Association of Polish Architects and the Association of Monument Conservators called for its protection. The defenders emphasised the value of its modernist architecture and the possibility of its renovation. In 2018, the provincial conservator of monuments refused to enter the complex in the register, citing as one of the reasons the loss of authenticity of the buildings caused by ill-advised modifications. However, he did place the historic platform shelters under protection. In 2022, demolition work began on the railway section of the station, which dated from 1971.
Olsztyn Station under the sail
The current station building, designed by the DWAA Architekci architectural practice, was opened on 21 February 2025. The building was constructed on an irregular trapezium-shaped ground plan, and its distinctive features include glazed façades and a geometric roof resembling a sail. The three-storey interior is equipped with lifts, a passageway leading towards Zatorze, and mementoes from the previous building: the ‘Dworzec Kolejowy’ neon sign and a mosaic. The building’s new identity was further cemented by the appointment of Nicolaus Copernicus as its official patron.
Compared with the first station building, almost everything has changed: the façade materials, proportions, the shape of the structure and the details. The continuity of this place has survived primarily in its function as a railway station.
Source: pkp.pl, muzeum.olsztyn.pl
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