The final work on the construction of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw is underway. Its official opening is planned for 25 October 2024. The editors of whiteMAD managed to visit the building just before the work was completed. For the time being, the empty exhibition halls will soon be filled with art.
Its construction is a sign of a revolution in the centre of Warsaw. Previously, no such large building had been built in such close proximity to the Palace of Culture and Science. The New York firm Thomas Phifer and Partners and the Warsaw office of APA Wojciechowski are responsible for the architectural design of the museum.
The architects designed a white block whose shape is reminiscent of a sculpted cube. Preparing a design for this part of Warsaw was quite a challenge. This is because the city centre is architecturally “overgrown”. The Palace of Culture dominates the landscape on one side, and the entire Eastern Wall with its towers on the other. The Marszałkowska Street frontage is also distinguished by large format and colourful shop signs…
The architects’ proposal was to design a white building that would tone down the buildings in the centre, rather than catch the eye with its avant-garde form. The designers were looking for the golden mean between a building worthy of the name of the Museum of Modern Art and architecture trying to blend in with the specificity of the place. In my view, they succeeded in achieving this. It should be remembered that in a few years’ time, right next door (between the MSN and the PKiN), the new headquarters of the TR Theatre will grow. This second building will be all black, which will counterbalance the white body of the museum and affect the visual perception of the whole establishment.

As soon as you enter the building, the distinctive, spacious staircase catches your eye. This is a very photogenic part of the building. There are also educational rooms, an auditorium, a bookshop and spaces for preserving or photographing works of art. The museum has also created a large cinema room. The bright interior is decorated with walls made of white-coloured concrete. The raw material is the main construction material, but it also decorates the space.
The new museum building has a surface area of nearly 20,000 square metres, of which more than 4,000 square metres are exhibition spaces. This is as much as nine times more than in the temporary premises on the Vistula River. The exhibits will be set up on the first and second floors, where rooms with panoramic windows have been designed. Large glass panes frame the view of Marszałkowska Street and the southern part of Plac Defilad. The greenery is also worth noting. Tall trees have already been planted on the square in front of the museum
The construction of the museum is financed from the budget of the City of Warsaw. The MSN will open on Friday, 25 October. During the first few days it will be possible to see part of the exhibition. The museum will prepare for visitors works by such artists as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Alina Szapocznikow, Monika Sosnowska and Sandra Mujinga.
The general contractor for the works is WARBUD S.A.
photographs: whiteMAD editorial team
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