on 20 December, the results of the prestigious architectural competition for the concept of rebuilding and extending the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław were announced. The event was organised by the Museum of Architecture, the Wrocław branch of the Association of Polish Architects (SARP) and the Municipality of Wrocław. Thirty-six projects were submitted for the competition and evaluated by the Competition Jury chaired by architect Maciej Miłobędzki. The deliberations, held between 17 and 20 December at the museum’s headquarters, brought together a group of experts, including representatives of the Wrocław authorities, the Lower Silesian Voivodship Conservator of Monuments – Daniel Gibski, and experts in various fields related to architecture and heritage protection.
The aim of the competition was to develop a concept that would not only emphasise the historical character of the museum complex, but also make it functionally and aesthetically adaptable to contemporary needs. The results of the competition promise a project that will become a new symbol of Wrocław’s architecture and culture.
“It was not a unanimous decision,” – says the Chairman of the Competition Jury, arch. Maciej Miłobędzki. “In fact, until the last minute there were several projects in play on which our opinions clashed. The concept that won was the one with an interesting narrative and a very strong message behind it.”
By the decision of the Competition Jury, three prizes and three equivalent distinctions were awarded.
The winner of the First Prize was the studio TŁO Michał Sikorski Architekt from Warsaw (author team: Michał Sikorski, Nicolo Signori, Anna Nauwaldt, Michalina Kubiak, Natalia Budnik; cooperation: Jan Jabłoński, Mateusz Zawadzki, Pola Machinska, Justyna Zawada, Michał Salamonowicz, Aleksandra Kędziorek, MIOVIZ, BRDA Foundation)
“Let’s try to imagine the Museum of Architecture as a large house of architects, where the old mixes with the new and the organic with the artificial” – say its authors about the winning project. “We design the new building as a large-scale ‘shelf’ for exhibits – fragments of demolished or modernised buildings that are already – or will be in the future – in the Museum’s possession. Designed in this way, the building is both a backdrop for the exhibition and becomes part of the collection itself.”
jury’s reasoning:
The first prize was awarded for the apt integration of the project into the Museum’s mission, plans and needs – both functionally and symbolically. Weaving together in a single gesture a reinterpretation of the past with a reflection on the present and the future, the designers consciously chose to use recycled materials, minimising the building’s carbon footprint and reducing the consumption of natural resources. In turn, all new elements will be designed according to the principle of design for disassembly – that is, assuming their reuse, bringing into the discussion a reflection on the full life cycle of the building.
The project is a clear signal in the urban space marking the existence of the Museum of Architecture, the only such institution in the country, one of the few in Europe. By proposing to move outdoors, into the urban space, to the façade of the building an exhibition composed of elements and details of architectural buildings that no longer exist. It introduces this solution as a strategy, a curatorial project to be carried out in collaboration with the museum team. At the same time, reference is made to the identity of the institution, whose mission in its early years was to document the process of rebuilding the war-ravaged city, as well as to collect the material remains of destroyed buildings.
An important gesture of architectural concession – and a subtle reference to the tradition of the site – is the placement within the façade of pots from which vines will grow over the building, imposing on it an additional, biological layer, similar to that which overgrows the historic seat of the museum. The authors of the award-winning work have also recognised the diversity and potential of the public spaces surrounding the museum’s headquarters. They have defined each of them in an interesting way, programming various functions – contemplation, meetings, experimentation, designing appropriate furnishings for a variety of users and activities, and proposing distinctive sets of plants.
Thesecond prize in the competition was awarded to the Ch architectural bureau from Wrocław (the author team: Mikołaj Smoleński, Grzegorz Kaczmarowski, Agnieszka Chrzanowska, Wojtek Chrzanowski, Aleksandra Galant)
jury’s reasoning:
The second prize was awarded for the search for reversible and restrained interventions within the scope of the church in the form of modular furniture-like elements. Consistent design decisions, workshop prowess and coherent material solutions. The restrained character of the research building reinterpreting traditional materials. Recognised the value of raising the roof over the east wing to incorporate communication and the attempt to preserve the yew tree in the west courtyard.
Thethird prize went to the team of Jędrak-Kościesza Pracownia Projektowa Sp. z o.o. from Warsaw (authorship team: Karina Jędrak-Kościesza, Wojtek Motyka)
jury’s reasoning:
The third prize was awarded for the skilful integration into the urban layout of Bernardinska Street, entering into dialogue with the gable form and the exposure of the monastery complex. For operating with a coherent language of forms and materials in terms of the newly designed building and the designed entrance pavilion. The jury appreciates the attempt to reuse materials.
Distinctions were awarded to:
⦁ Kuryłowicz & Associates Sp. z o.o. (Design team: Piotr Żabicki, Piotr Marciniak, Katarzyna Bartela, Karolina Czumaj, Weronika Dardzińska, Emilia Krajewska, Maria Saloni-Sadowska, Jakub Szczepański)
jury justification:
The distinction was awarded for attempting to discuss the programme assumptions, noting the potential inherent in the Museum Park concept and for the solutions of the educational zone.
⦁ Karol Żurawski (design team: Karol Żurawski, Szymon Chwazik, Marcin Kwietowicz)
jury justification:
An award was given for the solutions of the variable display in the chancel and for the restrained and good solutions of the interior details.
⦁ Atelier Tektura Sp. z o.o. (Design team: Barbara Kozielewska, Michał Kozielewski, Mateusz Kluczek, Paulina Bartosik, Kamila Doniec, Paulina Kapiszka, Oskar Kozaczewski, Łukasz Petelski, Katarzyna Piotrowska, Anna Puchalska, Agnieszka Turczyńska, Adrianna Waleszczak-Owczarek, Stanisław Ignaciuk, Maciej Czyński, Michał Bogusławski, Katarzyna Korczak, Jakub Okólski, Bartłomiej Siekierkowski, Arnold Prasalski)
jury’s reasoning:
An honourable mention was awarded for the solutions of the permanent and changing exhibition and aesthetic qualities.
Michal Duda, director of the Museum of Architecture, said: “The winning project is, in my opinion, a project that weaves together several threads in an interesting way. On the one hand, it talks a lot about the past, including the identity of this institution which, after all, at the very beginning of its activities was mainly concerned with collecting the remains of non-existent buildings. On the other hand, we have here a very interesting contemporary reflection on the circularity of the existence of objects. It is worth making it clear that, in my opinion, this is not a finished project, but rather an invitation to our whole team to continue working together on a strategy for its realisation. This is the opening of a whole new chapter.”
What’s next
The authors of the winning concept have been invited to continue work on the realisation project. Once the relevant agreements have been signed, detailed design documentation will be prepared. The estimated cost of the entire investment, including the reconstruction and extension of the Museum of Architecture, will exceed PLN 110 million. Funds for the project will come mainly from EU subsidies. All the works submitted to the competition can be admired at a special post-competition exhibition, which opened on 21 December. The exhibition is located in the Museum of Architecture in Wrocław and will run until the end of January 2025, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about the diverse visions of architects from around the world.
Source: Museum of Architecture in Wrocław
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Metamorphosis | Museum | Monument | Wrocław
