Former Officers' Club in Katowice

At Raciborska 37 in Katowice stands the modernist building of the former officers' club, designed by Leon Dietz d'Arma. It was erected in 1937 on commission from the city authorities and completed on 3 May 1939. Today it houses the rectorate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice.

A club at the garrison

The club was built at the garrison on Koszarowa Street, which in 1922 was taken over by the 73rd Infantry Regiment. When the existing buildings proved too small, the complex was extended with houses for officers, an infirmary and a Soldiers' Home. The club served the officers as a place for meetings and gatherings and for state and military ceremonies.

The building and its layout

The three-storey building consists of two blocks whose floors lie at different levels, with landings evening out the differences. Circulation is provided by three staircases: the main and side ones in reinforced concrete and an auxiliary wooden one. The ground floor held a library with a reading room, an office, a dining room and a club room with access to the garden. The first floor was taken up by a performance hall with a stage, a drawing room, guest rooms and an apartment, and the second by a gymnasium and a separate apartment. The cellars held service rooms and shelters.

From club to academy

In 1947 a branch of the Wrocław State Higher School of Fine Arts moved into the building. In 1952 it was incorporated into the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków as an off-site Faculty of Propaganda Graphics and Poster, and in 2001 the faculty became independent as the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. The building is entered in the heritage register.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Raciborska 37, Śródmieście, Katowice.
• The building is the seat of a university, so you mainly see it from the outside; you can find out about the possibility of entering on the academy's website.
• Nearby is Kościuszko Park, and about 1.3 km further on the Cathedral of Christ the King.