This is a long-term collaboration that is expected to result in the realisation of many international cultural projects combining contemporary art, new technologies and design. Audi has become a partner of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN). The institution, whose new headquarters has opened in the city centre, will collaborate with the automotive brand for three years. The benefits of this collaboration were seen by those who were able to attend events surrounding the opening of the new headquarters without paying an entrance fee.
When the demolition of the Emilia Pavilion in Warsaw began in 2016, preceded by the removal of the Museum of Modern Art, it was difficult to find a person among fans of modernist architecture approving of this act. The MSN was moved to the Museum on the Vistula, designed by Adolf Krischanitz. Temporarily, because it had been known since 2014 that the Museum of Modern Art would finally have its permanent home in the centre of Warsaw, with a design by the renowned New York-based studio Thomas Phifer and Partners. Artists, people involved in culture and ordinary Varsovians were patient as they waited for the story to be finalised. The finale came on 25 October 2024, when the Museum’s new premises at 103 Marszałkowska Street were officially opened.
The new museum building was built on a rectangular plan. The monumental ground floor supports two storeys, which are reminiscent of monolithic blocks marked by a horizontal cut on each side. The museum was built on a difficult site. The first difficulty was the claims to the plots of land around the Palace of Culture and Science. The city managed to deal with this issue more than ten years ago. Another was the 1st metro line tunnel running under the building.
The structural pillars of the Museum are not arranged according to a regular plan. There is an underground tunnel running directly underneath us, the construction of which began in a previous era. I’m not sure if the geotechnicians had accurate drawings of the underground, so they had to dig. The builders had to decide where to put the support columns and those huge beams above the tunnels. So in a way this archaeology, this rhythm is reflected when we stand over a tunnel that is a relic. A relic of a similar kind to the Palace of Culture, which defined this whole layout. So the idea is that this whole structure is exposed, that we reflect the rhythm of this archaeology in the rhythm of the new architecture. It just grows out of the ground,” explains Thomas Phifer.
Another difficulty is the architectural surroundings. On the one hand, the centre is dominated by the Palace of Culture and Science with its ornaments, and on the other by high-rise buildings built over several decades. An aesthetic mishmash. The Museum of Modern Art tries to tone down the multidimensionality of the centre of Warsaw, to be a kind of background for the stimuli around it. At the same time, the edifice fulfils its primary function, as a home for art. When designing the building, Thomas Phifer wanted not only to create a timeless building devoid of historical contexts, but also to make its architecture appealing to visitors. In order to achieve this, he designed the open arcades of the ground floor, which testify to the democratic character of the place. In this way, he realised the idea of the ‘Open Museum’.
The façade of the building is made of concrete. Interestingly, it is white in colour and coloured in the mass. This material is not just an external envelope. The architect decided to make it an ornamental element for the interior and thus make a reference to functionalism. The structural elements have deliberately been exposed, so in addition to the art, the building itself is a work to be discovered from the inside as well.
The second basic material in this project is light. We contain it in the white concrete block. It is a meeting place between people. They become more present in this white space, which is a container for light. We wanted the light to define this solid,” adds Thomas Phifer.
Access to the light- and art-filled museum is made easier thanks to a partnership between MSN and Audi. The brand supports the idea of an “Open Museum” and thanks to it, all events surrounding the opening of the new premises were accessible free of charge. The partnership with the Museum is in line with Audi’s values: modernity, the pursuit of innovation and sustainability. Audi has a long-standing emphasis on design, employing experienced designers whose work combines elegant aesthetics with advanced technology and functionality. These are values that result in vehicles of original form.
The partnership between the Museum of Modern Art and Audi will last for three years. It is a long-term investment in culture and art. The brand plans that, together with the Museum, it will realise a number of events aimed at presenting international projects using new technologies, design and visual arts. It will also facilitate the participation of those wishing to attend these events so that the Museum remains a place open to all.
The first result of the collaboration is a series of artistic photographs by Maja Wirkus and a video. In the photos and video, we can see the Audi car immortalised in the spaces of the new MSN headquarters. The geometric fabric of the building and the modern design of the car intermingle, symbolising the synergy of modern technology and art.
source: Audi, edited by
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