PL-1950075

The Tadeusz Hołdys High-Mountain Meteorological Observatory is loctaed on Śnieżka, the highest summit of the Karkonosze and the whole Sudetes mountains, at an altitude of 1602 meters. 

Śnieżka is mountain on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland but the observatory is located in Poland.

 

Photo by Pawel Uchorczak

PL-1950075, sent by Krysztof.

The first measurements on this location has been conducted in the middle of XIX century in old wooden chapel and mountain hut, whereas the first significant enlargement has been made in 1900 when new buildings were constructed. The whole wooden complex survived WWII, but heavily deteriorated due to harsh climate conditions, have been finally replaced by a new and more resistant concrete structure (only the chapel has been carefully restored and is still open for tourists).
The current observatory building has been constructed between 1966 - 1974 according to the project of Witold Lipinski and Waldemar Wawrzyniak.

The whole building structure consists of three joined disks of iron cast, where each disk serves different function. The highest disk is used as a proper meteorological observatory. Middle disk is a technical facility and observatory employees rooms. Finally, the lowest disks serves fully commercial functions and includes restaurant, restrooms and tourist chill room.
The building, quite controversial in its times, as it does not correspond with the mountaineous surrounding is nowadays perveiced as a real icon of Polish post-war modern architecture. It is also a perfect example of a futuristic building of 1960's represented by a couple of other constructions in Sudeten Mountains build in the former Czechoslovakia such as Jested Tower in Liberec. - in: https://architectuul.com