The concept of three cooperating studios from Łódź: Muro Architekci, Lachman Pabich Architekci and Pracownia Architektoniczna “Projektownia” won the two-stage architectural and urban planning competition to develop a design concept for the Westerplatte and 1939 War Museum – a branch of the Second World War Museum in Gdańsk at Westerplatte. ‘The project is to be completed by 2027″, reported the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The winning design by three collaborating studios assumes that the objects to be built on the historic battlefield will evoke the wider context of the 1939 defensive war in addition to the history of the September battles at Westerplatte.

The outdoor nature of the entire premise will, as highlighted, allow for the establishment of an outpost within the historic space. Its centrepiece from November 2022 is the Soldiers of the Polish Army cemetery, where defenders of the Westerplatte Military Transit Depot were buried. Thanks to ongoing archaeological research at the site, more than 60,000 artefacts have already been found.

At a press conference, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage Jarosław Sellin stressed that the most complex element of the future work will be the construction of a new museum building, which will be located on the area between the mound with the Monument to the Defenders of the Coast and the inscription ‘No More War’. According to the assumptions, it is to have about 7,500 m² of usable space, of which about 3,000 m² is planned for the exhibition.

Last week, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution providing funding for the construction of the Westerplatte and 1939 War Museum for the next five years. “The programme guarantees funding of 304.5 million PLN for the years 2023-2027. We can proceed calmly and implement the plan. I hope that in 2027 everything or almost everything will be realised”, said the Deputy Minister.

Adrian Andrzejewski