standing over Looking out from the garden terrace of the Warsaw University Library (Biblioteca Universiteka w Warszawie) it feels like being at the center of the universe, or at least in Poland. From the perch, you can see the spire of the Palace of Culture and Science, the adjacent Copernicus Science Centre, the basket-like PGE Narodowy Stadium and the banks of the Vistula River. It is also easy to see students surrounded by stacks of books in the study rooms below, visible through the large arched windows.
Library tourism has an inherent charm – seeing places that house the collective knowledge and history of nations. The Warsaw University Library makes a particularly enriching stop. While this intellectual center has stood on Dobra (“Good”) Street for only 26 years, the library has been a longtime symbol of the city's fight for knowledge. Since its founding in 1816, it has survived both world wars, the November Uprising in 1830, and communism. At a time when, once again, books and knowledge are at risk both in America and abroad, it also serves as a reminder of the wealth of knowledge that can be lost in the digital age.
The building differs dramatically from the Soviet-style block architecture that has defined much of the city's character. As librarian Liliana Nelewajska explains, its exterior features a candy-colored pink latticework from the former library's excavations (a symbolic link between past and present) and a green façade with engravings such as a book by Plato, Polish poet Jan Kochanowski . and various other classics, are homages to what lies within them. This is especially meaningful when you consider the building's construction date in 1999, only eight years after the fall of communism, when many of those works were restricted from public access.
“The idea of the architects of this place, Marek Budziński and Zbigniew Budowski, was to show that this is an important place for humanity,” says Nalewajska. “But here you will find lessons drawn from different cultures, different perspectives. Visitors come to light through books.
The building is constructed of glass and steel, a minimalist construction, designed to provide maximum light during the short days of winter. Large green rays on the glass roof create a metallic, forest-reminiscent canopy. In 2002, the Minister of Infrastructure of Poland awarded the library a prize for its “outstanding digital qualities”.
As Nalewajska notes, the symbolism of the entrance extends throughout the building, particularly notable in the statues of Demosthenes and Sophocles, which stand on the columns flanking the entrance.