The Museum of Architecture in Wrocław invites you to its very first exhibition dedicated to children – a journey into the incredible power of architecture.

Architecture Lab is much more than just a regular exhibition. It’s a space for play and learning – but above all, for experimentation. In this former Gothic church, young visitors and their caregivers won’t just learn about architecture and the principles behind it. They will experience it with care and curiosity, and discover how to take part in shaping it. The spaces around us have a powerful impact on our well-being – no matter our age. That’s why it’s so important to understand the rules that govern them. And most importantly – to discover ourselves within them.

The exhibition opens up an “experimentarium” – a hands-on space filled with specially designed multisensory installations and interactive stations. These allow visitors to explore architecture through sight, sound, touch, and smell. They offer insight into the architect’s tools and the technical side of construction. They also invite reflection on important themes like inclusivity, ergonomics, and the role of greenery in landscape architecture – crucial issues in the face of global challenges such as climate change, technological development, and the need to strengthen human relationships. What’s more, the entire exhibition has been designed according to the principles of universal design. It includes people of all ages and abilities in the experience, and encourages visitors to see that designing for everyone should always be part of creating space.

The curators designed the exhibition to respond to one of the key educational challenges of today: how to teach young people to experience and shape their surroundings with awareness. At a time when social participation and shared responsibility for public space are becoming increasingly important, Architecture Lab becomes a starting point for open-ended exploration of these topics. Exploration that doesn’t lead to a single “right” answer, but invites many voices, where every opinion matters.

Architecture Lab is much more than a story about buildings – it’s a hands-on experience of architecture. It’s an exhibition that builds not only knowledge, but also a sense of agency, showing young visitors that the spaces around them can – and should – meet the needs of all users.

The exhibition is based on a project of the same name, which won the Grand Prix and First Prize in the Education category of the 2022 Sybilla Awards for Museum Event of the Year. It is accompanied by an activity book, Architecture Lab, which expands on the exhibition content, as well as an educational program designed not only for children, but also for teens, adults, and seniors.

Curators: Agnieszka Gola, Patrycja Mazurek

• Organizers: Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw and City of Wroclaw
• Exhibition arrangement design: Magdalena Storożenko-Polak, Blanka Przedpełska, Katarzyna Mizera, Kamila Haja (Places Foundation)
• Exhibit design: Magdalena Storożenko-Polak, Blanka Przedpełska, Katarzyna Mizera, Kamila Haja (Places Foundation), Ewa Kuczała
• Visual identification: Paweł Mildner
• Text editing: Rozalia Radecka
• Translations: Grzegorz Piątkowski, Wojciech Poros
• Production: Misia Siennicka, Agnieszka Smutek
• Exhibition editing: Grzegorz Hoja, Michał Cybulski
• Models: ONIMO

• Communications: Iga Bałchanowska, Marta Czyż, Kalina Soska

• Partners:

• Culture Without Barriers Foundation
• School with Class Foundation
• NAVIGO Wrocław Authorized Elementary School

• Wroclaw Center for Social Development

• Media Patrons:

• City of Children
• Silesia Kids