The observation tower on Góra Parkowa offers visitors a 360° panorama, allowing them to take in both the town centre and the distant Beskid Sądecki mountains. The entire structure is designed in the Art Deco style, which is characteristic of Krynica-Zdrój and flourished during the early 20th century and the interwar period.
Unlike many similar structures currently being built in Poland, the tower on Góra Parkowa is a concrete and glass construction, rather than a timber and steel structure. This choice of materials has allowed for a more modern form and the extensive use of glass as an integral part of the design.
Glazed sections appear in several places within the structure, serving various functions. The most notable of these is the internal viewing terrace, which enables visitors to enjoy the landscape regardless of the weather. Thanks to the large glass surfaces, visitors can still enjoy the surroundings in windy, rainy or cold conditions – a feature that significantly enhances the tower’s functionality and ensures it remains attractive all year round.
For those seeking a more thrilling experience, there is also a semi-circular skywalk – an external, cantilevered viewing terrace with a glass floor. Standing on it, visitors feel as though they are almost completely detached from the ground and 'suspended in the air', while remaining completely safe. This feature gives the structure a distinctly contemporary character, placing it firmly within the trend of modern viewing attractions found across Europe and the world.
The tower on Parkowa Hill features triple Pilkington Insulight AviSafe™ insulating glass units, utilising Pilkington AviSafe Suncool™ 70/40 high performance bird-safe solar control glass. These are designed to reduce bird collisions with large glazed surfaces and protect the terrace, which is exposed to the sun in summer, from overheating. Argon gas and a TGI® warm edge spacer bar were used in the air gaps of the insulating glass units to reduce heat loss and improve thermal insulation.
Bird collisions with glass are a particular problem for buildings situated in green surroundings, along migration routes, and in areas of high bird traffic – precisely the sort of locations found in spa resorts and mountainous regions. This glass solution is based on the properties of ultraviolet light. Birds can see the UV spectrum, which remains invisible to the human eye. Pilkington AviSafe™ glass uses this phenomenon by incorporating a subtle, regular pattern onto its surface that is visible to birds whilst remaining virtually neutral to the human eye. Consequently, birds perceive the pane as a barrier rather than an open space or a reflection of the landscape, significantly reducing the risk of collisions.
The balustrades on the observation tower’s terrace are made of 17.5 mm thick Pilkington Optilam™ OW T laminated toughened glass with a screen-printed finish. This ensures a high level of safety, as the glass is more durable and, should it break, the fragments will remain in place.
The laminated glass is made of Pilkington Optiwhite™ extra clear, low-iron glass to maintain an unobstructed view from the tower. This guarantees colour neutrality and natural colour reproduction of the landscape. The glass has been screen-printed to prevent birds from colliding with the panes.