In Poland, everyone knows it, it is an icon of Katowice and an engineering marvel of domestic architecture from the Social Modernism period. Despite its more than 50-year history, the Spodek in Katowice has still not been given due protection. The situation only attracted the attention of the media and relevant authorities when it became apparent that part of the iconic building might be demolished. Will the Spodek in Katowice finally become a monument?
When asked about the most iconic building in Katowice, most people will answer Spodek without a second thought. Today it is difficult to imagine the architectural landscape of this city, especially the area around the General Jerzy Ziętek traffic circle and the Katowice Culture Zone, without this iconic building. Despite its iconic status and numerous renovations, the condition of some elements of the Spodek in Katowice has deteriorated over time, in view of which the city, as owner of the building, is about to organize another, this time highly controversial renovation. The reason for it, as the katowice24.info portal reported in the first half of March, are the results of an expert opinion conducted in 2023:
Experts found the presence of numerous damages, including corrosion of reinforcing bars, local section losses of up to 100%, destruction of reinforced concrete beams and slabs, especially edge and expansion joints, cracks and damage to the lagging of bars. In addition, the load-bearing capacity of balustrades is already insufficient. They do not meet crowd pressure standards. Reinforcement deficiencies have been found in key elements of the structure. There are also problems with rainwater drainage due to deflections in the structure.
The stairs and terraces around Katowice's Spodek were to be demolished and reconstructed
Photo: Mike Peel © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
The planned work? Demolishing the stairs and terraces and replacing them with a reconstructed structure. The city's intentions have not gone unnoticed, and there has been increasing talk of protecting the Spodek elements slated for demolition.
Will the Spodek be a monument?
Until now, the Spodek in Katowice was included in the Municipal Register of Historic Places, but was not noted in the Register of Monuments, which provides the highest level of protection. However, the threat of the demolition of part of the socmodernist foundation announced by the city has attracted the attention of the Silesian preservation office, which announces decisive action on the matter:
In connection with the information appearing in the public space about the planned demolition of the stairs and terraces of the Spodek Sports and Entertainment Hall in Katowice and their subsequent reconstruction, I would like to clarify that Spodek is under protection resulting from the followingthe fact that it is included in the municipal register of monuments of the city of Katowice, which means that a construction or demolition permit for this object is issued after agreement with the provincial conservator of monuments. A refusal to agree excludes the possibility of issuing such a permit. To date, I have not received an application for reconciliation of the building permit for the above-mentioned activities, thus I cannot determine whether the planned solution will be accepted by me. At the same time, I have commissioned an independent expert to assess whether it is possible to adapt the Spodek's stairs and terraces, without demolishing them, to a state that complies with the law and safety requirements, taking into account the needs related to the function of the monument, in particular the organization of mass events. At the same time, I would like to inform you that in the coming days, I will initiate proceedings to enter the historic building complex comprising the Spodek hall and accompanying buildings into the register of monuments.
- Anna Ostrowska, Silesian Regional Monuments Conservator
Detail of the Katowice Spodek
Photo: Fiedler © CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
The fact that the provincial conservator has taken this initiative and the iconic status of the building may indicate that the procedure for entering the Spodek in the register of monuments will be successful. Even if this were not the case, however, according to the law, all renovation and construction work within the building against which the entry procedure has been initiated must be suspended until it is completed. Once entered in the register of monuments, the conditions for carrying out construction and conservation interventions on the Spodek in Katowice will change fundamentally. Unlike objects listed only in the Municipal Register of Historic Places, work on buildings listed in the register requires each time a building permit and the approval of the provincial historic preservation officer. At the same time, the owners of the object (in this case the city), are required to preserve it in the best possible condition.
Invoices of the Katowice Spodek
Photo: Fiedler © CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Spodek renovations in Katowice
The last major renovation, meanwhile, took place between 2009 and 2011 - as part of the work, among other things, the building's surroundings were cleaned up, new telebims were installed and the eternit elements on the facade were replaced. At the time, work was also carried out on the stairs and terraces, which would now be demolished and rebuilt anew - the previous renovation respected the historical fabric, and elements remembering the 1970s remained in place. Later renovations included replacing the roofing or restoring the grandstands, among other things.
Spodek's backstage area in Katowice, Poland
Photo: Lestat © CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons
UFO over Katowice
Towering over Katowice, the space-like structure began to be built back in 1963. Originally, the building was to stand on the grounds of the Provincial Park of Culture and Recreation, today's Silesian Park, but as a result of the intervention of General Jerzy Ziętek, then Silesian Governor, the construction was moved to the current location. The design was created back in 1959 as a result of a competition announced at the time by the Association of Architects of the Republic of Poland. The construction, which took place not without problems and consumed 800 million zlotys, was finally completed in 1971, when the unusual arena was put into use.
Spodek in Katowice
Photo: Marek Mróz © CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
engineering masterpiece
The Katowice Spodek, designed by Maciej Gintowt and Maciej Krasinski, in addition to its distinctive shape, is also a masterpiece of engineering thought:
During my studies I used a book by Edward Charytonov called "Outline of the History of Architecture." The cover of my edition juxtaposed the Parthenon, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Spodek in Katowice. At the time I was amused by the comparison, but today my perspective has completely changed - I see the Spodek's skylight as an equally bold engineering solution as the dome designed in Rome by Michelangelo.
- said last November Dr. Lukasz Galusek, then deputy director of the International Cultural Center in Cracow.
The unusual solutions were due to several reasons - the most significant of which was the difficult terrain on which the structure was placed. The reinforced concrete foundation bowl carrying the Spodek was poured in an area affected by mining damage; the remnants of coal seams were picked out at night by residents after construction had already begun. The result was a building shaped like a flying saucer, from which the hall took its name. As the designers calculated, only such a form had a chance in the clash with the unstable, post-mining ground.
Spodek in Katowice in 1979
photo: Grażyna Rytowska Archive | public domain
saucer on steel cables
The one-of-a-kind building was covered with a slightly sloping circular roof with a span of 126 meters, in the center of which was a giant dome weighing a hundred tons. The stability of the entire structure is ensured by a self-tensioning tensegrity structure, designed by Prof. Waclaw Zalewski and Andrzej Zórawski. Tests were carried out in practice - before the opening of the Spodek, 4,000 soldiers sat on its stands, stomping and jumping to test the building's strength. As we know, the tests were successful and the construction could be completed.
