Stregovia granite – the favourite stone of urban architects
Not many of us know, that the Palace of Science and culture as well as Sigismund’s column have been made of granite. These heritage sites were built mainly of Stregovia granite.
Stregovia granite – the treasure of Sudety
Stregovia granite is mined from Sudety block, precisely from Strzegom-Sobótka massif. We can say that Sudetian Foreland has a hidden treasure, which is characterized by a light grey colour and phaneritic structure. The holocrystalline and non-directional texture is made mainly of quartz, plagioclase and biotite. The exceptional charm of the stone is the effect of pegmatite bodies and streaks made of dark materials. Stregovia granite is known as pegmatite and its derivatives. The foundation of western part of Poland is made of this rock, precisely Sudetian Foreland, Równina Świdnicka and Wzgórze Strzegomskie. This stone was mined for many years in the quarries. It is estimated, that this stone is approximately 280-290 milions of years old. Stregovia granite had been formed during the Variscan orogeny.
Cities made of granite
In Poland numerous buildings, pavements and train stations had been made of Stregovia granite. Apart from the earlier mentioned heritage sites, this material can be found in the architecture of train stations of Polish State Railways in numerous cities, for instance in Zabrze or Katowice. Central Railway Station in Warsaw was also built of granite and the Warsaw underground too. The size of these objects demonstrates wide availability and relatively small price of Stregovia granite. It is important to add, that the majority of monuments have been erected from this material. The Monument of the Aviator and the Monument of Liberty have been made of it. In Kraków we can also find numerous proofs for a wide use of this type of granite. The Monuments of Władysław Jagiełło, Wyspiański, as well as Pomnik Grunwaldzki are artworks of sculptors, who have decided to use this material. Old towns in Poland are also full of Stregovia granite – this pertains to Kalisz, Legnica, Wrocław or the aforementioned Kraków. Other well-known and admired architectural landmarks made of this stone are Port Północny in Gdańsk and Piłsudski Square in the capital. In Warsaw the big residential complex: Marszałkowska Dzielnica Mieszkaniowa is characterized by a wide use of granite.
