Katowice is in the midst of what can only be called an architectural renaissance and its new skyline is raking up accolades and awards that no other city in Poland can compare with. But it wasn’t so long ago that Silesia was the butt of many a joke because of its many communist eye-sores and post-industrial dinosaurs dotting the landscape. But one man’s finger painting is another man’s Picasso!
We've compiled a list of 33 ‘must-see’ buildings/structures/places in Silesia, broken down into three easily digestible categories. We have annotated our list and done our best to present a historical timeline of the architecture to give you a broader picture of how the region has evolved over the past few years, decades and centuries. While admittedly most of the buildings can be found within Katowice’s city limits, we included several buildings and structures from various suburbs of the Silesian Metropolis. We hope to inspire you to get out there and see first-hand as many of the region’s fascinating feats of architectural acrobatics and engineering ingenuity as you can.
MODERN CLASSICS
International Congress Center (2016) - The newest iconic building in Katowice. The unmistakable grass terracing on the roof of this multipurpose expo (see cover photo) has proved an idyllic functional and metaphorical bridge between NOSPR and the Spodek.
Silesian Museum (2015) - The renovated former Katowice coal mine buildings along with the newly installed and equally iconic ‘light boxes’ on the surface belie the miraculous and magnificent museum lurking below. Underground architecture at its finest.
NOSPR (2014) - This is perhaps the most celebrated building in all of Poland in the last decade and our personal favourite. The classic red brick exterior pays tribute to the Nikiszowiec housing district but inside it’s a whole different world. The exceedingly warm woods of the main concert hall shimmer like gold and produces what has been called one of the most perfectly acoustic philharmonic halls in the world!
