| Prudential House | |
|---|---|
 The Prudential as seen fromWarsaw Insurgents Square, 2021 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Prudential Hotel Warszawa |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Town or city | Warsaw |
| Country | Poland |
| Construction started | 1931 |
| Completed | 1933 |
| Height | 66 metres (217 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 17 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Marcin Weinfeld,Stefan Bryła,Wenczesław Poniż |
| Developer | Prudential plc |
ThePrudential House,[1] officially known now as theHotel Warszawa, is a historicskyscraper hotel inWarsaw,Poland, located onWarsaw Insurgents Square alongŚwiętokrzyska Street. Built between 1931 and 1933 in theArt Deco style, it served as a base for the BritishPrudential Insurance Company. It was the tallest building in theinterwar Poland.
At the time of its construction, the eighteen-story, 66m Prudential House was the sixth tallest skyscraper inEurope, after theTelefónica Building, theBoerentoren, theUllsteinhaus, theSiemensturm and theBel-Air-Turm. Built using a steel framework, it was the tallest building in Warsaw until thePalace of Culture and Science was completed in 1955. Designed byMarcin Weinfeld, the Prudential House included office space on the lower stories and luxurious apartments further up. The steel framework, which was innovative at the time, was designed byStefan Bryła andWenczesław Poniż. Construction started in 1931 and used up over 2 million bricks, 2 thousandtonnes of concrete and 1500 tonnes of steel.
In 1936, a 27-meterantenna was constructed on the roof by professorJanusz Groszkowski, who started the firsttelevision broadcasts in Europe from the facility. The Prudential House soon became a symbol of modern Warsaw and was featured in numerous contemporary films and advertisements.
The structure was heavily damaged duringWorld War II, particularly during theWarsaw Uprising, when it was hit by approximately 1,000 artillery shells, including by a 2-tonneKarl-Gerät mortar shell, leaving only the steel framework standing. The artillery damage bent the tower sideways, but it survived the war and was featured on numerous anti-war posters.[2]
The tower was completely rebuilt after the war as a hotel, and its design style was changed from early modern tosocialist realism. The building's original architect, Marcin Weinfeld, adapted the building to its new role as a hotel. TheHotel Warszawa opened in 1954 and included 375 rooms, a large restaurant, a café and a night club.[3]
In 2002, the Hotel Warszawa closed and the building was sold. In 2010, it was purchased by the Likus Group, which began a slow and controversial refurbishment. The façade was returned to its pre-warart deco form, while the socialist-realist interior was completely gutted and rebuilt in a contemporary style.
In November 2018, the 142-room Hotel Warszawa reopened as a luxury five-star hotel.[4]
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52°14′8″N21°0′46″E / 52.23556°N 21.01278°E /52.23556; 21.01278