When architecture tells a story - the project that won recognition in the MA expansion competition

Ola Kloc

14 of February '25

Third Prize in the competition

...

w skrócie
In the competition for the design of the extension and reconstruction of the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw, settled in December 2024, three prizes and three equal distinctions were awarded. First Prize was won by the TŁO studio, Second Prize was awarded to the ch+ architekci team, and Third Prize was awarded to Jędrak-Kościesza design studio. Honorable mentions were awarded to the competition proposals by Kurylowicz & Associates, Karol Zurawski design studio and Atelier Tektura. The new museum building by Jędrak-Kościesza design studio is a five-story block, set back from the frontage, housing conservation studios, a reading room, warehouse and archive. The facade of the new building is made of prefabricated brick flour and rubble, an ecological reference to the Gothic facades of the historic complex. The structural structure of the museum is based on a post-and-beam system, which provides design flexibility to suit future museum needs. The main entrance to the museum leads through a historic gate, which introduces visitors to the atmosphere of tranquility and gradual discovery of the exhibition. For more interesting information, visit the home page of the A&B portal

w skrócie

In the competition for the design of the extension and reconstruction of the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw, settled in December 2024, three prizes and three equal distinctions were awarded. First Prize was won by the TŁO studio, Second Prize was awarded to the ch+ architekci team, and Third Prize was awarded to Jędrak-Kościesza design studio. Honorable mentions were awarded to the competition proposals by Kurylowicz & Associates, Karol Zurawski design studio and Atelier Tektura.
The new museum building by Jędrak-Kościesza design studio is a five-story block, set back from the frontage, housing conservation studios, a reading room, warehouse and archive.
The facade of the new building is made of prefabricated brick flour and rubble, an ecological reference to the Gothic facades of the historic complex.
The structural structure of the museum is based on a post-and-beam system, which provides design flexibility to suit future museum needs.
The main entrance to the museum leads through a historic gate, which introduces visitors to the atmosphere of tranquility and gradual discovery of the exhibition.
For more interesting information, visit the home page of the A&B portal

Warsaw-based design studio Jędrak-Kościesza has won third prize in the competition to design the reconstruction and expansion of the Museum of Architecture in Wroclaw. The block proposed by the team, although at first glance quite monumental and monolithic, is intended to be another page of the story of the city written in a contemporary language.

important elements shaping the project

contemporary language of architecture

The competition jury appreciated Karina Jędrak-Kościesza and Wojtek Motyka 's proposal for, among other things, fitting into the urban layout of Bernardyńska Street and exposing the monastery complex, a consistent language and an attempt to reuse old building materials. How does the project look in detail?

project board

What comes to the fore is the new building at the intersection of Bernardyńska Street and Slowackiego Avenue - the five-story edifice (two underground and three above-ground floors), slightly set back from the frontage, is to house, among other things, conservation studios, a reading room, a warehouse and an archive.

The building provides a material record of the changes taking place in the urban space, combining different historical periods in one location. [...] The elongated mass of the new wing was designed as a reinterpretation of the existing rhythm of the monastery establishment. Its proportions, layout and positioning in relation to the courtyards and streets surrounding the complex reflect the calm harmony of the former structures. The new form does not become an echo of historical masses, but speaks its own contemporary language

- explain the authors of the project.

elevations and sections

architectural gestures

The stepped, upwardly decreasing building is emphasized by a rather "heavy" facade - the windowless facade from the side of Bernardyńska Street in all its glory presents an intriguing material chosen by the architects: prefabricated slabs made from a mixture of brick flour and rubble. This choice, the architects stress, is a conscious architectural gesture and a contemporary voice in the dialogue with the Gothic facades of the historic Bernardine monastery complex.

The rubble, derived from the necessary demolition work, is recycled and incorporated into new prefabricated elements. The elements are then broken in a way that captures the natural, irregular structure of the stone, creating a rough texture with an uneven pattern of cracks

- the designers add.

elevations and sections

The structure of the new building is formed by a post-and-beam system, which is expected to provide arrangement flexibility allowing the space to adapt to changing needs.

The framework of the designed museum, despite its decisive form, blurs the boundaries between the internal space and the urban context, allowing mutual interactions and openings

- explain the architects.

View from Bernardyńska Street

two worlds

However, these openings are not obvious, from the west - where the main entrance to the museum is located - the architects decided to leave the historical gate. Crossing it, visitors move from the hustle and bustle of the city to the calming zone of the courtyard, and through the planned sequence of interiors, slowly enter the solemn atmosphere of the museum, which is to culminate in the exhibition in the impressive space of the nave of the former church.