Socialist Realism

The basic design of Nowa Huta and a major part of its buildings are the legacy of the 1950s and follow the guidelines of socialist realism. Nowa Huta was to be socialist in its substance and national in its form. From 1950 to 1956, buildings in the central part of the complex were erected in the socialist realism style, although they blended with their predecessors and successors. These buildings are compact, more densely placed and ornamented with historicist forms, such as cornices and attics. Along the main streets, the blocks are combined into “screens” with mall strips, suspended passageways and stores on the ground floor. The most emblematic socialist realism buildings include the houses at Plac Centralny (1952-1956, designed by J. Ingarden and T. Ptaszycki), the Świt cinema (1951-1953, designed by A. Uniejewski), Ludowy Theatre (1954-1955, designed by M. Ingarden, J. Ingarden and E. Dąbrowski), the Światowid cinema (1955-1957, designed by A. Uniejewski), the Stefan Żeromski Hospital (1952-1958, designed by S. Porębowicz and H. Skrzyński) and the Steelworks Administrative Centre (1952-1956, designed by M. Ingarden, J. Ingarden and J. Ballenstedt).