The Onset
First, there was a thought, based on a concept to gather in a single place all the decision making centres of that time. The thought and the concept were the foundation for the decision to erect a building for seats of all the parties supporting the post-war reality.
The following entities were to dwell near the crossing of Jerozolimskie Avenue and Nowy Świat Street in Warsaw:
Polish Workers' Party - PPR;
Polish Socialist Party - PPS;
Polish Peasants' Party - PSL;
Peasants' Party - SL;
Democratic Party - SD;
Labor Party - SP.
The designing work was given to "Tigers" - Mr. Władysław Kłyszewski, Mr. Jerzy Mokrzyński and Mr. Eugeniusz Wierzbicki - a team of architects created in 1936. At the stage of designing, the creators of the edifice made some assumptions, resulting from their fascination with "the new", relating also to new signals about a style in art which was later to be named socialist realism.
The old school, however, did not let the 'Tigers' to take architectural concepts from Marszałkowska Street (the MDM complex of 1950s.) into the area of the National Museum directly. They assumed their project to complete the partially existing southern frontage of Jerozolimskie Avenue, already filled with the National Museum and the National Economy Bank building. They decided that the already existing buildings should be related to their construction, which would not offend anyone with its monumentalism.
The authors of all political powers cooperation concept believed that a common seat for all the parties would be emanating with the atmosphere of power action, which should be then transmitted to the workers' masses. That is why the "Tigers" designed clearance-giving pillars on the ground floor on the north-south axis. The "working people of towns and villages", en route to an amphitheatre which was to be created at the corner of Książęca Street and Trzech Krzyży Square (today's Holland Park's location), would walk under those pillars and get satisfied with the size of power they were holding by the hands of their representatives working in that building. Then, they would express their support for this authority on manifestations held in the amphitheatre. On they way, those too agitated with their internal flame were to cool down in a fountain, which was to be erected on location of the existing tenements at 2 and 4 Nowy Świat street.
The original project assumed only 6 over-ground floors for the building in the wings along Nowy Świat street and the National Museum, i.e. the ground floor, mezzanine, and four more storeys, so that the construction would relate to the neighbouring National Museum building. The passages along Jerozolimskie Avenue and Książęca street elevated above the masses heading for the amphitheatre, were to have only 4 stories, to avoid the pedestrians being overwhelmed with their size.
At the same time, to allow the leaders address the nation, balconies were designed on the first floor in the passages, ideal for greeting the manifesting masses during marches and processions. The balcony along Książęca street had a roofing, protecting the dignitaries standing there against rain or snow. The roofing was supposed to be supported by caryatids standing on the base of the balcony.
The fifth floor was erected already during the construction phase and for technology reasons it is narrower than the rest of the building, thus offering around the fifth floor a terrace around the whole building both inside and outside.
Interestingly enough, the building is situated at angle to the Nowy Świat Street axis. The reason for that were chestnut trees, survivors of WW2, which previously had grown in a yard of a demolished tenement. Because the Nowy Świat Street had been completely deprived of greenery, it was decided to preserve the only trees in the street. They were fit into the surrounding of the building with a possibility of nurturing them provided.
Another popular explanation is that the angle was to relate to the Ujazdowskie Avenue axis, so that the marches under the building's pillars were aiming at the present Chancellery of Prime Minister (by then, it was planned to host the seat of State's Council („Rada Państwa”), hence the still existing stylized letters "RP" at the entrance to the Chancellery), and then to Belvedere, being at that time the seat of Bolesław Bierut, President of Poland.
The edifice was erected in 1948-1952 and financed by selling donation certificates, which were distributed among the whole society. Buying them was not always done in a completely voluntary way.
From the very moment of putting the first line on blueprints until the official opening with cutting the ribbon, everything was planned and executed by Poles only.
Private artisans put a lot of effort into the ornaments of the building. Balustrades, railing and ornamented bars are masterpieces of local artists - smiths.
The only "foreign element" are the stairs surrounding the building on three sides. From Książęca Street, Nowy Świat Street and Jerozolimskie Avenue, there are stairs and stone plates made of granite that came from the demolition of Hindenburg's Mausoleum, erected by the Germans on the fields of Grunwald.