ARCHITECTURE OF REMEMBRANCE

The Katyn Museum in Warsaw by BBGK Architekci makes a powerful statement in the discussion on the role of architecture in creating spaces of remembrance and commemorating difficult or tragic events from the community's past

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In recent years, the area of the 19th-century Warsaw Citadel in Warsaw, Poland has been undergoing a transformation into a museum complex and memorial site that is unique on a European scale.

The historic area, which remained closed to the city for years, is now becoming a representative space commemorating the history of Poland. This is one of the largest public developments among the numerous cultural investments following Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004.

In 2023, the building of the Polish History Museum and the first of two planned buildings of the Polish Army Museum were officially opened to the public. Before that, in 2015, the Katyń Museum was inaugurated. This restrained, minimalist design has become a powerful statement in the discussion on the role of architecture in creating places of remembrance and commemorating difficult or tragic events from the community's past.

The museum was a finalist for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture — Mies van der Rohe Award 2017 and received Poland’s most prestigious architectural prizes, including the Award of the Association of Polish Architects and the Architectural Prize of the Mayor of Warsaw. Soon, it will be 10 years since the Katyń Museum was established. However, its architectural expression remains just as relevant.