Competition for the conceptual design of the Museum of Westerplatte and War of 1939

Competition for the conceptual design of the Museum of Westerplatte and War of 1939

Architectural and urban competition for the conceptual design of the Museum of Westerplatte and the War of 1939 – branch of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk.

 

The mission of the Museum of Westerplatte and the War of 1939 is to preserve the authenticity of the battlefield, to keep alive the memory of the Poles’ defiance  during World War II, and to preserve the site  where the most tragic conflict in history began.

 

The facilities that will be created on the historic battlefield will tell not only the story of the September fights at Westerplatte, but also provide a  wider context of the defensive war of 1939. The open-air nature of the entire establishment will allow the museum to exist within a historic space, including authenticated relics of the past, surrounded by authentic landscape.

 

At the heart of the site  is the Polish Army Soldiers’ Cemetery in Westerplatte, completed in 2022, where the defenders of Westerplatte were buried. Thanks to ongoing archaeological excavations, more than 60,000 artefacts have so far been recovered from this unique land. The most valuable objects will be exhibited in the area of Westerplatte accessible to the public.

 

Participants that have been accepted to the first stage of the Competition will be invited to submit the Studies. Six Studies that meet the Competition criteria to the greatest extent will be selected. In the second stage, their Authors will be invited to submit Competition Entries detailing the previously proposed solutions. Three Winning Entries will be selected.

 

The Competition provides for cash prizes totalling PLN 240,000.00 gross. The Winner of the Competition will additionally receive the opportunity to develop a full design documentation for the conceptual assumptions proposed (by the Winner).

 

Expressions of Interest to participate in the Competition must be submitted by 3 March 2023 at 12:00 (noon).

 

The planned date for the announcement of the results is October 2023.

 

More information:

The Competition is organised by the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk.

 

The competition was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. Target subsidy for the task: Museum of Westerplatte and the War of 1939 Development and the Revival of 1939 Westerplatte Battlefield.