Once known as the “glass palace,” it remains a remarkable example of modernist architecture in Gdańsk. There is no other building in Gdańsk that has sparked as much controversy. To this day, we must ask ourselves the question that keeps coming back like a boomerang in many discussions in Gdańsk: tear it down or leave it standing? In November 2021, we invited residents to the “60 Years of LOT” event!
To mark the 60th anniversary of the building’s construction, we have prepared a commemorative publication. Articles by Dorota Kucharczyk and Klaudiusz Grabowski explore the history of the building as well as that of Lech Kadłubowski, an architect who rendered outstanding service to Gdańsk. These are interspersed with archival materials, photographs by Zbigniew Kosycarz, and recollections from people connected to this place. As part of the event, in collaboration with the Gdańsk Museum, we have organized an outdoor exhibition on postwar modernism, the LOT building, its designer Lech Kadłubowski, and his other projects in the Main Town. 60 Years of LOT: more about the event.
When it was built, the Furniture Store—later LOT—was one of the most modern buildings of its kind in Poland. Its light, airy structure with distinctive glass panels contrasted with the surrounding architecture of the Main Town. Once known as the “glass palace,” it remains a remarkable example of modernist architecture in Gdańsk.
Despite numerous changes and the loss of its former beauty, it remains an important landmark for the residents of Gdańsk to this day. It was once the retail outlet of the Provincial Furniture Trading Company, where people would line up to purchase the furniture they longed for to furnish their homes. In the 1970s and 1980s, it served as a window to the world for many—the building was leased by LOT Polish Airlines. To this day, it remains a distinctive meeting place—who among us hasn’t said to loved ones and friends at least once, “Let’s meet at the LOT building”?? Its location at the entrance to the Royal Route makes it visible not only to residents but also to tourists visiting Gdańsk
The “60 Years of LOT” project was co-funded by the City of Gdańsk.
