Marble as memory: The Polish History Museum
History written in stone
The Polish History Museum – the country’s biggest museum – was designed by the firm WXCA and tells a philosophical story about the process of history, with stone as the narrative language for discovering traces of the past. As the architects from WXCA explain, each marble slab is different and unique, just as all of history consists of unique, individual events.
Restoring the grounds of the Warsaw Citadel
Along with the opening of the Polish History Museum, the revitalised grounds of the historic Warsaw Citadel have also been opened up to the city and now serve as a ‘culture park’ – a green space dedicated to culture, remembrance and everyday recreation. The complex is set to become a place of multidimensional contact with Polish history, as well as a space for discussion, knowledge acquisition and contact with culture, as well as a centre for social life. In addition to exhibition space and rooms for the storage and conservation of artefacts, the nearly 45,000 m2 site includes numerous spaces for cultural activities, including a concert hall that seats 600, a cinema and theatre, a library, conference and education rooms, catering points, and a terrace with panoramic views of Warsaw.
Velvet-clad privacy
A total of 1600 m2 of back-painted Matelac Silver Clearvision glass was used as wall cladding in the 12 bathrooms. Its matt finish and neutral colour create a smooth, velvety effect, heightening the feeling of calm and privacy. For this specific application, safety was further enhanced by applying a transparent polypropylene SAFE+ film to the painted side of the Matelac glass so that, in case of breakage, the glass fragments stick together, thus preventing injury. The film also protects back-painted glass installed in humid and moist environments. The anti-fingerprint surface makes it easy to maintain and clean.
The Polish History Museum in Warsaw, along with six other contenders, has been shortlisted in the museum category for the prestigious Prix Versailles 2024, a UNESCO prize which recognises the finest contemporary projects worldwide.
This is the first time in the competition’s history that a special category - The World’s Most Beautiful Museums – has been created for museum architecture. The Prix Versailles will be awarded in November 2024 at UNESCO headquarters.
Investor: Polish History Museum in Warsaw
Architects: WXCA Sp. z o. o.
General contractor: Budimex S.A.
Glass: Matelac Silver Clearvision with SAFE+ (4 and 6 mm)
Wall cladding surface area: 1600 m2
Glass installer: AGC Glass Poland Sp. z o.o., Opatów plant
Year implemented: 2023
Photo: Piotr Krajewski © AGC Glass Europe
