AXIS
Soaring toward the sky

Axis is a vertical subtle form standing next to the PKO Rotunda building opened in 2019 on the site of the original Rotunda designed from 1960 to 1969 by chief architect Jerzy Jakubowicz. The concept of the Axis was inspired by the classical form of an obelisk or a column, in reference to other upright structures in the neighbourhood such as the Palace of Culture and skyscrapers in Warsaw’s centre.

Axis corresponds with the Rotunda’s light and transparent steel and glass architecture and its characteristic pleated roof. At the same time, it creates an additional element of the architectural composition.

Photo by Grzegorz Stępniewski

The sculpture stands in a small basin below the ground level. Its proportions fit well into this context: a narrow diameter is adapted to the limited space, while the height of 10 meters gives it a suitable sound momentum. Therefore, Axis functions on two levels. It is visible from the passer-by level, but appears in full splendor only after descending into the basin.

Five vertical FiDU profiles of teardrop shapes soar toward the sky and their mirrored steel surface produces subtle refractions of light. On the one hand they reflect the surroundings with the Rotunda itself and on the other they bring us closer to the sky with their slender shapes. Moreover, the totemic form combined with the light steel surface make the PKO Axis a metaphor for dynamic growth in the constantly changing world.

SCULPTURES