Jump to content

Congress Hall (Warsaw)

Coordinates: 52°13′54″N 21°00′19″E / 52.231581°N 21.005229°E / 52.231581; 21.005229
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Congress Hall, Warsaw)
Congress Hall
Sala Kongresowa (Polish)
Congress Hall from Emilii Plater St. (2018)
Map
General information
TypeConcert hall
Architectural styleSocialist realism
Addresspl. Defilad 1
00-901 Warszawa
CountryPoland
Inaugurated21 July 1955; 69 years ago (1955-07-21)
Renovatedsince 2014
Other information
Seating capacity2,880
Website
pkin.pl
Interior of the Congress Hall (2011)

The Congress Hall (Polish: Sala Kongresowa) is a 2,880-seat theatre at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland.[1] It was opened in 1955.

Renovation

[edit]

The hall was closed in July 2014 for renovations, modernisation and improvements for fire safety. Originally the hall was to be closed for two years before re-opening in 2016. The initial cost estimate was 45 million złoty.[2] The renovation of the building began in september of 2014, in order to adapt it to fire protection requirements. However, it turned out that the cost and scope of the work were underestimated, and in the spring of 2016 their contractor declared bankruptcy.In December 2017, the management board of the PKiN management company initiated a tender for a new concept aimed at modernizing the hall. The projected cost of the renovation exceeded PLN 100 million, with completion scheduled between 2022 and 2024. By August 2018, the Council of the Capital City of Warsaw had earmarked PLN 183 million specifically for the Congress Hall renovation, as part of its long-term financial planning. In 2019, the competition for the modernization of the hall was concluded. In 2021, it turned out that the amount reserved by the city was too small. The earliest completion date for the renovation is around 2025.[3]

Music performances and festivals

[edit]

Past performances have included shows by Marlene Dietrich (1964 and 1966), King Crimson, Procol Harum, Pat Metheny, The Rolling Stones (1967), Paul Anka, Charles Aznavour, Juliette Gréco, Lou Reed, Keith Jarrett, Joe Cocker, Leonard Cohen (1985), Diana Krall, and Yes. More recent musical performances have included Tangerine Dream (in 1997),[4] Patti Smith (in 2002),[5][6] Kraftwerk (in 2004), Dead Can Dance (2005), Mieskuoro Huutajat (2007) and Katie Melua (2014).[7]

The theatre has hosted closed-congresses of companies such as Microsoft, Nationale Nederlanden, Commercial Union, and Zepter International.[citation needed] In 2006, the theatre hosted the finals of the Miss World 2006 beauty pageant.[8]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ yelp - Congress Hall in the Palace of culture and science
  2. ^ "Warszawa: Sala Kongresowa znika z mapy stołecznych atrakcji" [Warsaw: Congress Hall disappeared from the map of the capital's attractions]. Polskie Radio (in Polish). Warsaw: Polskie Radio. 2014-07-13. Retrieved 2014-09-11. Repair of the Congress is to last more than two years. Its cost is estimated at 45 million zł. Part of the cost is to be recovered, however, because it is planned to auction the red seats - the most well-known element of the decor of the room.
  3. ^ "Wyborcza.pl". warszawa.wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
  4. ^ Discogs - Sea of Dreams, (Disk 6: 1988 - 1997) unofficial release 6-CD compilation 1997
  5. ^ last.fm - Patti Smith at Sala Kongresowa
  6. ^ setlist.fm - Patti Smith at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw on August 10, 2002 setlist
  7. ^ Dicsogs - Exorcism in the Palace (Sala Kongresowa - 31.03.2005) unofficial release 2-CD 2004 Poland
  8. ^ "Finał Miss World 2006 w Sali Kongresowej" (retrieved June 18, 2014)
[edit]
Preceded by Miss World venue
2006
Succeeded by
Crown of Beauty Theatre
China Sanya

52°13′54″N 21°00′19″E / 52.231581°N 21.005229°E / 52.231581; 21.005229