The National Museum in Poznań is getting prettier! Most of the work on the main façade has just been completed, and the effect is truly impressive. Surfaces that were previously dirty and damaged by the passage of time have regained their nobility, clarity of detail and the former colour of the stone. This is a landmark moment for the landscape of Liberty Square, as well as for the institution whose building has accompanied the city’s representative artery, Aleje Marcinkowskie, for more than a century. The full modernisation will last until 2027, with this year’s phase, which exceeds five million zlotys, being fully funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The National Museum in Poznań – the new face of the facade
The renovated front wall on Marcinkowskiego Avenue is the first visible result of the renovation, which began this summer. The cleaned texture of the stone reveals details that were previously lost under the dirt. The completion of this stage has changed the perception of the entire edifice particularly dramatically: the architecture has gained optical lightness and elegance, and the rhythm of the divisions has become clearer and more distinct. Work on the façade and the fence on the Ludgardy Street side is also about to be completed.
Work programme and plan for further renovation
The first stage involves refreshing the eastern and western elevations and preparing for the replacement of sections of the roofing. Copper sheeting will replace the existing tar paper, which will restore the visual integrity of the historic block. Changes will also take place at the south-west corner of the building’s finial, where a stone reconstruction of a concrete copy of the sculptural group will appear. Attention has also been given to the historic fence, damaged during the Second World War. The restoration of the stone elements and the repair of the cast iron posts or spans will restore the original, long-disturbed composition. At the end of the investment there will be a brand new illumination of the edifice, which will emphasise the architectural rhythm of the facades after dark.
Architecture from a century ago: origins and creators
The museum building was constructed between 1900 and 1903 to a design by Karl Hinckeldeyn. The building was intended to be a showcase for the institution and an element of the urban game of influencing the cultural image of the city. The artists responsible for the stuccowork, mosaics and sculptures, including Hans Koberstein and Stephan Walter, were involved in the realisation. Reinhold Ahrens created the allegorical busts that still open the composition of the representative hall today. The layout into four wings with a central glazed interior creates a clear entrance axis, and the facades differentiate functions through different iconographic motifs. The former design emphasised the three areas of the museum’s collections: art, natural history and crafts. In this way, the architecture acted as a visual manifesto of the museum concept of the time.
National Museum in Poznań after 1918
After independence, all German symbols were removed and some of the decorations were replaced. However, the name of the institution was changed to the Wielkopolska Museum. Only fragments of the building’s façade retained their original mosaics, and their presence today is source material for research into the history of the site. The war did not result in the total destruction of the building, but it clearly left its mark on the stone structure. Bullet or shrapnel damage was filled in with material that over time was coloured differently from the rest of the façade, which is visible today in the form of bright spots. In 1950 the name of the National Museum in Poznan appeared, and in the 1970s mosaic tondos with the names of Polish painters were added. In 2001, however, a new wing of the Gallery of Painting and Sculpture was completed, developing the earlier expansion concepts.
The renovation of the museum – the first in decades
Four decades without major conservationist intervention have led the stone to a state of considerable darkening and loss of clarity of detail. The current work restores the former quality of the material, but also serves as a reminder of the museum’s complex history. As a result of the work, the façade on the side of Marcinkowskiego Avenue has regained its legibility and visual freshness, and the city has gained a renewed focal point at the representative Wielkopolska Square.
Source: National Museum in Poznań
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View from Wolności Square of the museum building – circa 1910 and 2024 Photo: University Library of Poznań and Old Poznań Then and Now
The front of the building before and after the renovation. Photo by Tomasz Hejna – LAGOMphoto
