The lecture will present the fascinating, intricate, and twist-filled story of the unfinished NOT office building, commonly known as the “Skeleton,” which has towered over the Mogilskie Roundabout in Krakow for the past 40 years.

Construction began in the 1970s as part of a plan to revitalize the Main Railway Station and create a district of skyscrapers in the Mogilskie Roundabout area – Krakow's Manhattan. However, the investment was interrupted shortly thereafter. “Szkieletor” became a symbol of the decline and arrogance of the communist system. Newspaper headlines described it as a bogeyman or a specter, while at the same time in Wrocław, the media portrayed the bus station in a similar way.

Despite their obvious differences, both structures symbolize the hope for the creation of a modern urban space. Both suffered a devastating defeat due to a lack of materials and financial resources, and today they primarily evoke nostalgia for something that never was. Over the following decades, while the “Szkieletor” structure stood abandoned, numerous concepts for its redevelopment were proposed. Fortunately, unlike the Wrocław station, one of them was implemented. The NOT office building gained a new lease on life – but did the “new look” really do it any good?

Event as part of the exhibition “Repulsive, Dirty, Evil,” co-organized with the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław.

MIASTOmovie recommends – an event as part of the project: Wrocław retold. Film and architectural narratives about a city reborn. The project is funded by the Municipality of Wrocław as part of the initiative “Wrocław – a city of dialogue, solidarity, and reconciliation.”