POLAND Warsaw Museum of Modern Art topped

The highest point and the structure of the Museum of Modern Art have now been completed, together with a large section of the white concrete façade, the cinema tower, the circulation routes and the central staircase.

The tradition of the ceremonial topping out is an opportunity for us to thank all the builders for their effort and work on the construction of the new home of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. All the more so as it has taken on a special dimension in our case. The design and construction itself require extraordinary precision, patience and special commitment from the entire project team. The project is being executed in an exceptionally difficult time – first the pandemic, and then the war in Ukraine. Both circumstances have had a significant impact on the construction industry, imposing on us numerous challenges.
Nicolas Dépret, the president of Warbud’s management board

Almost 60 pct of the building is located directly above the Warsaw Metro. The building is supported by 128 concrete foundation piles embedded 30m into the ground and entwining the underground railway infrastructure. As there was a risk of potential deformation, this stage of construction work was carried out in close cooperation with the Warsaw Metro and the Warsaw University of Technology.

The modernist building, which has four above-ground storeys and two underground levels, will have almost 20,000 sqm of floor space, 4,500 sqm of which is to be exhibition space – nine times the area of its current premises on the Vistula promenade.

The main galleries will be located on the first and second floors, around a geometric staircase, while the galleries on the top floor will be illuminated with diffused sunlight through skylights. The building will also contain classrooms, a conservation workshop, artwork storage rooms and a cinema with seating for 150 people. The Polish Radio Experimental Studio (PRES), which operated between 1957 and 2004, is also being recreated within the museum, which will also have an auditorium, reading room, a bistro and a bookshop.

The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw is due to be completed by the end of this year. Polish construction firm Warbud was awarded a PLN 417 mln contract to construct the museum as the result of a tender held in Q1 2019. BuroHappold is responsible for the construction design. The architectural design of the project is by New York studio Thomas Phifer and Partners in partnership with Polish studio APA Wojciechowski.

The same studios have also designed the adjacent project for the Teatr Rozmaitości. The main stage of the 15,000 sqm building will have seating for 700 people, while a smaller stage will have seating for 150 people. The engineering work and project management have been entrusted to ECM Group Polska and Portico Project Management. The building permit for the project was issued in Q1 2021 and now a tender is currently underway to choose the general contractor, with the TR Warszawa theatre expected to come into use in autumn 2026.