Global InformationWarsaw radio mast information
| Warsaw Radio Mast | |
|---|---|
Radiofoniczny Ośrodek Nadawczy w Konstantynowie | |
 The Warsaw radio mast before topping out (1974) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Collapsed |
| Type | Mast radiator insulated from ground |
| Location | Konstantynów, Gąbin, Poland |
| Coordinates | 52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E / 52.3677056°N 19.8024250°E |
| Construction started | 5 July 1969 |
| Completed | 18 May 1974 |
| Destroyed | 8 August 1991 |
| Height | 646 m (2,119.42 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Jan Polak at Mostostal M-1 Zabrze (radio mast) |
| Civil engineer | Andrzej Szepczyński at Mostostal M-4 Zabrze |
| Other designers | Alimak Het from Sweden (elevator) Brown, Boveri & Cie from Switzerland (transmitters) Several Polish companies |
| Main contractor | Polish Broadcasting Company (Polskie Radio) |
The Warsaw Radio Mast (Polish: Maszt radiowy w Konstantynowie) was a radio mast located near Gąbin, Poland, and was the world's tallest structure at 2,120 ft (646 m) from 1974 until its collapse on 8 August 1991.[1] The mast was designed for extreme height in order to broadcast Soviet propaganda around the world, including to the remotest areas such as Antarctica.[2][3] As of 2023, it was the third-tallest manmade structure ever built, after the Burj Khalifa tower in the United Arab Emirates in 2009, and Merdeka 118 tower in Malaysia in 2022.[1]
Designed by Jan Polak, its construction started with earthworks for the foundations on 5 July 1969,[4] while construction of the tower itself entered began on 18 October 1972 with a ceremony, and was completed on 18 May 1974. Its transmitter, whose installation started in October 1973, entered regular service on 22 July 1974.[5] The opening of the mast was met with extensive celebration and was covered by the Polish Film Chronicle.[3][6] The tower was used by Warsaw Radio-Television (Centrum Radiowo-Telewizyjne) for radio broadcasting on a frequency of AM-LW (longwave) 227 kHz before 1 February 1988 and 225 kHz (1332m) afterwards.[7] Its base was 115.2 metres (378 ft) above sea level. Because there was a potential difference of 120 kV between the mast and ground, it stood on a 2-metre (6.6 ft)-high insulator. It operated as a mast radiator (half-wave radiator), so its height was half of its 1332m broadcasting wavelength. The signals from its 2 MW transmitters could be received across essentially the entire globe. The structure's weight was debated, with some Polish sources claiming it weighed 420 tonnes (930,000 lb).[1]
The mast was designed for national pride, mainly because of the height of the mast, which made it the tallest structure in the world at the time, surpassing the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, US. It was also designed to broadcast the "propaganda of the successes." Due to the mast's height, listeners from all over the world could tune in to Polish radio broadcasts, including those in remote places such as Antarctica.[3]
The official name of the facility was Radiofoniczny Ośrodek Nadawczy w Konstantynowie (Radiophonic Transmission Centre Konstantynów), Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie (Radio Transmission Centre Konstantynów; RCN Konstantynów) or Warszawska Radiostacja Centralna (WRC) w Gąbinie (Warsaw Central Radio Station Gąbin). It broadcast Polskie Radio's Program I (unofficially referred to as "Jedynka").[8] The transmitter was so powerful that Program I could be received in parts of Canada and the United States.[2]
- ^ a b c Kohlstedt, Kurt (April 18, 2016). "Unheard Of: The Catastrophic Collapse of the World's Tallest Tower - 99% Invisible". 99% Invisible. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ a b Kępa, Marek (2021). "The Sky is the Limit: Poland's Highest Mountains & Tallest Buildings". culture.pl. Adam Mickiewicz Institute; Polish Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport.
- ^ a b c Polish Film Chronicles nr 39 1991 on Warsaw Radio Mast w/English Subtitles, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-12
- ^ "Marian Siedlarek about the lift on the mast in Konstantynów". radiopolska.pl (in Polish).
- ^ Andruszkiewicz, Wojciech (January 21, 2006). "Maszt Radiowy w Konstantynowie (Gąbin, Polska) - najwyższa budowla na świecie". Budowle.pl (in Polish). Wojciech Andruszkiewicz. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie cz. 2/5, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-12
- ^ Baranski, Piotr; Loboda, Marek; Wiszniowski, Jan; Morawski, Marek (2012-11-01). "Evaluation of multiple ground flash charge structure from electric field measurements using the local lightning detection network in the region of Warsaw". Atmospheric Research. 117: 99–110. Bibcode:2012AtmRe.117...99B. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2011.10.011. ISSN 0169-8095. S2CID 27536503 – via Elsevier.
- ^ "RadioPolska • Obiekt nadawczy | RTCN Warszawa *Raszyn*". radiopolska.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-04-12.