The original lanterns appeared in the centre of Warsaw at the time of the construction of the Palace of Culture and Science. Thanks to the conservation work carried out, they look like new and have returned to their original place.
There are a total of eight candelabras at the Palace of Culture and Science. They have a decorative form and are an element that adorns the entire establishment. The lanterns take the form of stone columns with decorative capitals, which are crowned by a metal structure with five lampshades.
The preservation and conservation of the candelabras is necessary due to the artistic value of the objects. Thanks to the inscription, the lanterns, which have now been dismantled from the area where excavation and restoration work is taking place, will be able to undergo professional conservation. A decision on the entry can be expected once the proceedings have been completed,” he wrote in 2023. the then Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments Prof. Lewicki.
It was in 2023 that the lanterns were entered in the register of monuments. In recent months, the structures have undergone conservation work and returned to the Palace of Culture on 21 May. Four of them were placed in the same place as before, between the Drama Theatre and the Studio Theatre. The other four, which had previously been extended towards Marszałkowska Street, were placed closer to the Palace’s façade.
The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, built between 1952 and 1955, was designed by the architect Lev Rudniew. The monumental nature of the building was intended to symbolise both the dynamic reconstruction of the capital and political change. The surroundings of the palace also underwent a profound transformation. The 50-hectare area on which the PKiN stood had previously been dominated by a network of streets and around 80 tenement houses, of which the area of Parade Square was filled with tall Art Nouveau residential buildings. As a result of urban transformations, the existing streets were removed, including Chmielna, Złota, Sienna, Śliska, Pańska, Zielna, and the Great Street running parallel to Marszałkowska Street also disappeared completely, leaving traces of the old street layout and buildings, which are now being reconstructed by the new arrangement of the area.
source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer
photos: A. Śmigielska, WUOZ in Warsaw
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