Clear, transparent, without an excess of multimedia; focused on social interaction for success and the use of its consequences - this is what the permanent exhibition of the new Museum of the Wielkopolska Uprising is to be. The competition for the exhibition concept was won by the Trias AVI studio. The competition jury chose from among three high-level works.
The competition for the "visual and spatial concept of the permanent exhibition of the new Museum of the Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919" was announced in April this year, and is organized by the Wielkopolska Museum of Independence in Poznan. The exhibition is to be housed in a building that does not yet exist, which will be built according to a design by the WXCA studio selected in another 2019 architectural competition. The museum will be located between the strict Old Town and the Citadel park at the foot of St. Adalbert's Hill, near the cemetery of the Distinguished People of Greater Poland. The exhibition is to occupy about 3,000 square meters of the building, and its guiding slogan is "Everyday work, in moments of trial victory." The museum will be formed by four blocks composed around a courtyard opening to the surroundings, including the park planned next door. Its form was also the subject of a competition four years ago.
Museum of Wielkopolska Uprising, winning design by WXCA studio (2019) - general view from the side of the park
© WXCA / vis. Dot Design
three studios in play
Over the past few years, however, the authorities of Poznań, which organized an architecture competition for 5 million zlotys, lacked money for construction; expected costs were rising. In January this year, the task was taken over by the Wielkopolska Marshal's Office, with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage joining in as co-organizer. The estimated cost of the investment (including the exhibition for 65 million zlotys) is now 376 million zlotys (the Marshal's Office has secured the entire amount, and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage has declared refinancing of 222 million zlotys). A tender is now underway to select the main contractor for the construction work. If the bids fit within the budget, the work should start at the end of this year.
As of today (Friday, 15.09), it is known what approximately the interiors of the facility will look like, telling in six sequences not only about the victorious Greater Poland Uprising, but also about the circumstances and activities that paved the way for the triumph, as well as about interwar Poznań created after the victory. Three companies experienced in arranging exhibition and museum spaces submitted works for the competition. They were obliged to rely on a precise scenario of the future exhibition prepared in advance.
Concept for the permanent exhibition of the future Museum of the Greater Poland Uprising 1918-1919, 1st prize, designed by Trias AVI
© Trias AVI
The winner was the Warsaw-based Trias AVI studio (prize of 50 thousand PLN gross and an invitation to negotiate the development of full design documentation). The winning company has dozens of completed projects to its credit, such as the Maritime Science Center and the Museum of Technology and Communication in Szczecin, the National Museum of Technology in the capital, and the Torun Fortress Museum. Two weeks ago, the latest exhibition by Trias AVI opened in Jastrzębie Zdrój: the Carbonarium in the former bathhouse of the Moszczenica mine (now the Center for Culture and Dialogue).
multimedia does not go out
The chairman of the competition court, experienced exhibition designer and museologist Robert Supeł spoke at the awards ceremony about the very even level of the works, their high quality and the consensus of the competition court in awarding individual podium places. About the winning concept we read that:
the element of interaction and social commitment necessary for success in work and struggle is clearly exposed in it. The work is distinguished by the clarity of the adopted exhibition solutions, the reasonableness of their selection in the presentation of key historical events, the legibility of graphic solutions, the right approach to the role and manner of displaying the musealia, and restraint, which results, among other things, in moderation in the use of multimedia, which "do not come to the fore" before the other exhibition solutions.
Marcin Wojczynski of Trias AVI in front of the boards with the winning project
Photo: Jakub Glaz
Chairman Supeł also said that
this work showed to the greatest extent the elements that led to the victory. The authors have excellently treated the theme of the 1929 General National Exhibition held in Poznan. It promises to be an exhibition within an exhibition, as being at an exhibition dedicated to the Greater Poland Uprising will conventionally be able to visit PWK. The postulate that the viewer should have the opportunity to step into the shoes of those involved in the uprising has also been dealt with most thoroughly here. This is served by the concept of an interactive game in which one has to define one's character and choose the character closest to oneself.
Concept for the permanent exhibition of the future Museum of Wielkopolska Uprising 1918-1919, 1st prize, designed by Trias AVI.
© Trias AVI
fire changes the script
In the case of the second prize for the Cracow studio ART FM (25 thousand zlotys btrutto), the court appreciated the very good harmony of the concept with the architecture of the planned building. The concept of the exhibition was subordinated to the somewhat pretentious slogan "The fire of freedom burns in us," which, according to the jury, resulted in
very interesting scenographic solutions. Recognition (...) was given to proposals for the treatment of specific themes, such as Drzymała's wagon, the capture of Ławica, or the presentation of a broader diplomatic context, as well as proposals for the use of museum artifacts.
However, reservations were raised about the rather casual treatment of the exhibition scenario and its far-reaching modifications.
Concept for the permanent exhibition of the future Museum of Wielkopolska Uprising 1918-1919, 2nd prize, designed by ART FM.
© ART FM
YEAR THREE
Third place and PLN 15,000 went to New Amsterdam, a company well known in Poznań, which has already realized two exhibitions in the city: for the Poznań Gate and the Enigma Cipher Center. The jury appreciated
the interesting proposal to base the exhibition on the motif of "the road between the light and darker parts of Wielkopolska's history" and the consistent use of the national rosette motif in its graphic language.
However, the judges were not convinced by the firm excess of multimedia dominating the exhibition space and distracting attention from the musealia.
Concept for the permanent exhibition of the future Museum of Wielkopolska Uprising 1918-1919, 3rd prize, designed by New Amsterdam
© New Amsterdam
Now, over the next year, work is to continue on the preparation of the exhibition's design documentation (specifying the concept in terms of scenographic and multimedia solutions, the manner of displaying the musealia, preparation of texts). Then the tender for the exhibition contractor will be launched. The building and the exhibition are expected to be ready in December 2026.
