Gdynia's modernist city centre joins UNESCO World Heritage list at 48th session in Busan

The decision in Busan

Modernistyczne Centrum Gdyni was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list on Monday, 27 July 2026, during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. The application received support from 18 of the 21 committee member states. Deputy Mayor Oktawia Gorzeńska, who was present in Busan, described the outcome as an emotional moment and dedicated the success to the city's residents.

These moments we dedicate to all the residents of our city, who every day care for this exceptional heritage and will protect it for all generations. Thank you.

Ambassador Mariusz Lewicki, Poland's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, added that the recognition honours not only the urban design but also Poland's efforts after regaining independence following the First World War and the generations who built the city from its founding exactly one hundred years ago.

What the listing covers

The inscribed area is a compact 87.9-hectare quarter in Gdynia's Śródmieście district, bounded by Jana z Kolna, Wójta Radtkego, and Świętego Piotra streets to the north, Marszałka Piłsudskiego Avenue to the south, and the railway line to the west. It contains around 500 buildings. UNESCO's description notes that the centre includes two main street axes and interwar building blocks reflecting "the application of modernist ideas on a broad scale," forming a distinctive, compact urban organism with expressive individual architectural forms. The Śródmieście, together with villas on Kamienna Góra, illustrates a radical break with historicism during the transformation of the village of Gdynia into the Polish state's new "main window onto the world" in the interwar period.

The path to inscription

The campaign stretched over two decades. A key milestone came in 2007 when the urban layout of Śródmieście was entered into the register of historic monuments. It later gained Pomnik Historii (Monument of History) status, and a multi-year nomination dossier was prepared. An earlier bid was sent back for revision in 2025, with UNESCO requesting clarification of the buffer zone and the implementation of heritage impact assessment mechanisms. During the 48th session, the committee judged that the city had met those requirements.

Diplomacy played a decisive role in the final weeks. Deputy Mayor Gorzeńska explained that the improved decision was tabled by Kazakhstan and ultimately co-signed by 18 states. She credited the work of Poland's Permanent Representation to UNESCO, Ambassador Lewicki and his team, and the city's own delegation, which held meetings with committee member states and ICOMOS experts to present arguments in favour of inscription.

This is not a vote. Diplomatic action is needed. In our case the improved decision was brought by Kazakhstan, and ultimately as many as 18 states signed on. It was an exceptionally moving moment.

Expert perspective

Architect and architecture historian Grzegorz Piątek, author of "Gdynia obiecana. Miasto, modernizm, modernizacja 1920-1939," told the Polish Press Agency that the listing carries promotional and prestige value, symbolically drawing the world's attention to Polish architecture. He stressed that the inscription honours not only individual buildings but the entire history behind them. Piątek drew a comparison with Kaunas, Lithuania, which joined the list in 2023: both cities experienced a sudden elevation of status due to a twist of historical circumstances, producing a surge of modernist state buildings and tenement houses. He noted that the appeal of Gdynia lies in the large, coherent architectural ensemble rather than isolated landmarks.

In modernist Gdynia you can truly feel the spirit and atmosphere of the era. These are not single buildings but a coherent urban space that tells a story about history, about a specific historical moment.

What changes for the city

City authorities were quick to reassure property owners. Deputy Mayor Gorzeńska stated that nothing will change for residents or building owners, as the area is already protected and the scope of that protection remains the same. Mayor Aleksandra Kosiorek told Radio Gdańsk that the inscription is a chance to extend tourism beyond the high season, adding that the city would begin promoting the status immediately. She called the moment symbolic, noting that it arrives in Gdynia's centenary year and will remain in the history of the city, Poland, and the world.

The World Heritage list now includes approximately 1,250 sites, of which 18 are in Poland. The Busan session runs through 29 July 2026.