Pałac Kultury i Nauki: The controversial icon of Warsaw

The Palace of Culture and Science (also referred to as "The Russian Wedding Cake")

 "As the city's most visible landmark, the building was controversial from its inception. Many Poles initially hated the building because they considered it to be a symbol of Soviet domination, and at least some of that negative feeling persists until today. Some have also argued that, regardless of its political connotations, the building destroyed the aesthetic balance of the old city and imposed dissonance with other buildings.
However, over time, and especially in recent years, Warsaw has acquired a number of other skyscrapers of comparable height, so that the Palace now fits somewhat more harmoniously into the city skyline. Furthermore, since Soviet domination over Poland ended in 1989, the negative symbolism of the building has much diminished"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science,_Warsaw

Shooting a bit of history.

The Shoot: Pałac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science)

This monumental building in the center of Warsaw has become, in a sense, one of the most recognizable structures of the city. If you see it, you know you are in Warsaw. 

The eye catching, and slightly hidden element found: 

The curious thing I found when walking around this unique skyscraper was a memorial line running along the floor. It turns out to be a reference marker in memory of where the Warsaw Ghetto wall ran during the second World War. Here is a bit more information about the wall and it's purpose:

"The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Warsaw Ghetto was established by the German Governor-General Hans Frank on October 16, 1940. Frank ordered Jews in Warsaw and its suburbs rounded up and herded into the Ghetto. At this time, the population in the Ghetto was estimated to be 400,000 people, about 30%^[1] of the population of Warsaw; however, the size of the Ghetto was about 2.4%^[2] of the size of Warsaw. The ghetto was split into two areas, the "small ghetto", generally inhabited by richer Jews and the "large ghetto", where conditions were more difficult; the two ghettos were linked by a single footbridge. The Nazis then closed the Warsaw Ghetto from the outside world on November 16, 1940, by building a wall, topped with barbed wire, and deploying armed guards."  -Wikipedia

A photo borrowed from the website http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/100926.html