Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki) is a notable high-rise building in Warsaw, Poland. Constructed in 1955, it is the center for various companies, public institutions and cultural activities such as concerts, cinemas, theaters, libraries, sports clubs, universities, scientific institutions and authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Motivated by Polish historicism and American art deco high-rise buildings, the PKiN was designed by Soviet architect Lev Rudnev in "Seven Sisters" style and is informally referred to as the Eighth Sister. The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland, the eighth-tallest building in the European Union and one of the tallest on the European continent. It is 237 metres tall.