On 20 December 2024, we learned the results of a one-stage implementation competition for developing an architectural concept for the reconstruction and expansion of the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw - the only museum of its kind in Poland. The competition was organized by the Museum, with the participation of the Wroclaw branch of the Association of Polish Architects (SARP) and the Municipality of Wroclaw.

The Competition Jury, chaired by architect Maciej Miłobędzki, evaluated 36 projects. The Jury’s deliberations, held on 17-20 December 2024 at the Museum of Architecture, were also attended by representatives of the municipality, the Provincial Conservator of Monuments, Daniel Gibski, and invited experts in various fields.

All awarded and commended projects can be found HERE

By the decision of the Competition Jury, three prizes and three equal honorable mentions were awarded.

The winner of the First Prize is the TŁO Michał Sikorski Architekt studio 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 imagine the Museum of Architecture as a large house of architects, where old and new, organic and artificial all mix together, its authors say of the winning design. We designed the new building as a large-scale “shelf” for exhibits - fragments of demolished or modernized buildings the Museum has had or will have in its collection. The building designed in this way is both a backdrop for the exhibit and becomes part of the collection itself.

The Jury’s reasoning: The first prize was awarded to the project that best fit the project into the Museum’s mission, plans, and needs - both in how it functioned and in what it symbolized. The designers cleverly combined a reinterpretation of the past with thoughts about the present and future. They chose to use recycled materials on purpose to reduce the building’s carbon footprint and conserve natural resources. They’re also designing all the new elements to be dismountable that, assuming their reuse, starts the discussion on the full life cycle of the building.

The project is a clear signal in the city space marking the existence of the Museum of Architecture, the only such institution in the country, one of the few in Europe. The idea is to bring the exhibition outdoors, to the city space, and to the building’s façade. It’ll be made up of elements and details of architectural objects that no longer exist. It introduces a strategy, a curatorial project to be done in cooperation with the museum team.

At the same time, the project refers to the museum’s early focus on documenting the city’s rebuilding after the war and collecting materials from destroyed buildings. The pots in the building’s front are an important architectural detail, and a subtle reference to the venue’s traditions. They’ll have vines growing on them that’ll cover the building, adding an extra biological layer, similar to the vines that cover the museum’s historic headquarters. The authors of the award-winning project also saw the potential in the public spaces around the museum’s headquarters. They’ve defined each of these spaces in an interesting way, programming a variety of functions - contemplation, meetings, experiments, designing appropriate equipment for a variety of users and diverse activities, and proposing distinctive sets of plants.

Second prize in the competition was awarded to the Ch+ architectural studio from Wroclaw (author team: Mikołaj Smoleński, Grzegorz Kaczmarowski, Agnieszka Chrzanowska, Wojtek Chrzanowski, Aleksandra Galant).

The Jury’s reasoning: The second prize was awarded for the attempt at finding reversible and restrained interventions in the church in the form of modular furniture-like elements. The Jury also appreciated consistent design choices, workshop skills, and using the same materials throughout, as well as the restrained character of the research building that reinterpreted traditional materials. 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 was also recognized.

Third prize went to Jędrak-Kościesza Pracownia Projektowa Sp. z o.o. from Warsaw (author team: Karina Jędrak-Kościesza, Wojtek Motyka)

The Jury’s reasoning: The third prize was awarded for the project’s skillful integration into the urban layout of Bernardyńska Street, its interaction with the shape of the gable, and its exposure of the monastery complex. It did a great job using consistent forms and materials in the newly designed development and the designed entrance pavilion. The Jury also appreciated the effort to reuse materials.

Honorable mentions were given to:

1) Kuryłowicz & Associates Sp. z o.o. (Author team: Piotr Żabicki, Piotr Marciniak, Katarzyna Bartela, Karolina Czumaj, Weronika Dardzińska, Emilia Krajewska, Maria Saloni-Sadowska, Jakub Szczepański)

The Jury’s reasoning: The honorable mention was given for attempting to discuss the program assumptions, recognizing the potential inherent in the Museum Park concept, and for the work on the educational zone.

2) Karol Żurawski (author team: Karol Żurawski, Szymon Chwazik, Marcin Kwietowicz)

The Jury’s reasoning: The honorable mention was given for the variable display solutions in the chancel and for the restrained and well-executed interior detail.

3) Atelier Tektura Sp. z o.o. (Author 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).

The Jury’s reasoning: The honorable mention was given for the solutions that addressed the permanent and changing exhibition and aesthetic qualities.. Michal Duda, director of the Museum of Architecture: I think the winning weaves together several different ideas. For one, it talks about the past, including the identity of this institution, which, at the beginning, was mostly concerned with collecting the remains of non-existent buildings. On the other hand, it offers a contemporary perspective on the circularity of objects, a truly thought-provoking subject. It’s crucial to emphasize that the project is not yet finished, but rather serves as an invitation to our entire team to collaborate on the implementation strategy. This marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter.

What’s next?

The authors of the winning concept will be invited to continue working on the implementation project. Following the signing of the relevant agreement, the design documentation will be prepared. The estimated cost of the reconstruction and expansion of the Museum of Architecture is expected to exceed PLN 110 million. Financing for this initiative will be secured through EU subsidies.

The post-competition exhibition, which presents all the projects submitted to the competition, was on display at the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw from 21 December 2024 to the end of January 2025.