Supersam Warsaw, Modernist pavilion at Mokotowski Square, Warsaw, Poland
The Supersam pavilion was a modern shopping building with a single large sales space, supported by an innovative suspended roof system. The roof was held up by steel beams and cables, creating an open interior without columns.
The building opened in 1962 as Poland's first self-service supermarket, transforming how people shopped. It represented new economic and social changes during the communist period.
The pavilion served as a gathering place where Varsovians could shop and dine, bringing together different services under one roof. Visitors could purchase fresh bread from the in-house bakery and eat in the dining area.
The building sat on Mokotowski Square in the city center, making it easy to reach. Structural concerns about the roof led to its closure in 2006, and the site cannot be visited today.
The roof was built without inner supports, an unusual construction method for a retail building in Poland at that time. This technique allowed the building to have a large open space that was completely new for shoppers.
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