The Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic

The Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic is designed as a place of remembrance that aims at transcending any divisions. The architects agreed that out of respect for the authentic substance of this place, it requires subtle accenting of the old and the new architecture.

For this reason, preservation of the original historic wall surrounding the prison buildings was chosen as a key aspect. The wall is emphasized as a strong, authentic and historically faithful architectural element – a witness guarding the memory of those who were imprisoned here and allowing visitors to pass onto this site of tragic events of the past.

The most important factor of this concept is that new elements would result from a functional bare minimum. A simple geometric form could not dominate the historical substance. It would operate autonomously, creating an atmosphere of gravity and lending this place a monumental character.