This three-storey building is a former seat of Śląski Instytut Naukowy (Silesian Science Institute). It was designed by Stanisław Kwaśniewicz (1930-2006), who also designed others buildings in Katowice e.g. Kino “Kosmos” (The Cinema „Kosmos”) and Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej BWA ( BWA Gallery of Contemporary Art). Structurally, the building is composed of three staircases, where the central one is the main attraction of the building – a spiral staircase going through three floors. A large part of the first floor is arcaded and served as a parking space.The second level has exterior windows, while on the top floor, daylight comes through a complex of four patios and a partially openwork roof.

Special Thanks to Grzegorz Studnicki!

Demolished in late summer 2022. The decision to demolish was made after the building had stood empty for decades. After the liquidation of the Institute in 1992, the building had three new owners, but there was no idea how it should be developed for subsequent use. Instead, the structure fell into serious disrepair and ended up in ruins: The windows were broken, the walls were crumbling, there was lots of garbage everywhere. Efforts were made to save it, but ultimately demolition could not be averted. Today, a new building stands on the site. Kwaśniewicz's institute building was considered the last example of architectural brutalism in Katowice. 

This building was included in the red list, published in our exhibition catalog SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey (September 2017). After a status review on November 11, 2024, it was reclassified in the online database from red (endangered) to black (demolished).