The National Museum in Warsaw has acquired a building on Puławska Street with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. This facility will serve as a storage space for large-scale artworks, addressing long-standing issues with inadequate storage conditions. Collections from the current storage in Tarczyn, which the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) deemed insufficient, will be relocated here by the end of this year. Additionally, in the next two to three years, the new building will host an exhibition space for the museum’s furniture and design collections.
Addressing Storage Challenges
“The National Museum in Warsaw will gain over 3,000 square meters of usable space to house items currently stored in the temporary facility in Tarczyn and the Palace in Otwock Wielki. While the Otwock Wielki Palace is a branch of the museum, the Tarczyn facility is a rented space used to store furniture and large-scale contemporary art,” says Dr. Agnieszka Lajus, Acting Director of the National Museum in Warsaw, in an interview with Newseria.
The museum has struggled with a lack of proper storage for years. According to a NIK report, the Tarczyn facility, rented since 1998, does not meet necessary technical standards. Between 2019 and 2022, artifacts were stored in overcrowded conditions, including in kitchens, bathrooms, corridors, and garages. The facility lacked adequate humidity and temperature controls in most rooms, had no elevator, and required artworks to be carried via stairs, complicating potential evacuations.
After evaluating the costs of building a new facility versus renting space, the museum decided to purchase the building on Puławska Street. This year, the museum plans to carry out design and construction work on the property, prepare one floor for use, and relocate collections from Tarczyn.
Plans for the New Facility
“By the end of the year, we hope to move the collections from Tarczyn, initially arranging just one floor of the building,” explains Dr. Lajus. “The primary goal of the new storage facility is to ensure the safety and proper preservation of the collections. A secondary, but equally important, goal is to make our exceptional collections accessible to the public. We plan to create an open, study-friendly storage area where visitors can view our extensive furniture collection, spanning from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, and our design collection, which showcases the history of design from the early 20th century to today.”
The design collection comprises nearly 25,000 diverse objects, including metalwork, ceramics, glass, prototypes for industrial production, toys, fashion, and textiles. This variety draws significant interest from both the public and researchers.
The investment cost is 40 million PLN. Built in 1996 for printing operations, the building underwent extensive renovations in 2021 to serve as a furniture showroom. For now, the ground floor will remain leased to its previous owner, with exhibition preparations expected to begin in 2026 and be fully completed by 2027 or 2028.
“This timeline allows us to plan and design the project thoroughly, considering both accessibility and durability. Storage solutions will include not only shelves but also display cases and cabinets to accommodate the diverse materials. Our goal is to use the space as efficiently as possible, ensuring accessibility to a wide range of objects that are currently unavailable,” says Dr. Lajus.
Enhancing Public Access and Preservation
As part of the relocation, the museum will review its furniture and other artifacts, performing conservation work as needed.
“We plan to make these collections available through thematic displays and establish on-site facilities for conservation and digitization,” Dr. Lajus explains. “The collection includes works by renowned artists and designers such as Teresa Kruszewska, Jan Kurzątkowski, Władysław Strzemiński, and Magdalena Abakanowicz. Visitors will find everything from prototype machines to unrealized industrial designs. This rich collection is arguably the best in Poland in terms of design.”
The new building meets all technical requirements, including ramps, freight elevators, and reinforced floors.
A Broader Vision for Modernization
This project marks the beginning of significant changes for the National Museum in Warsaw.
“This year, we regained 940 square meters of space previously occupied by the Polish Army Museum. This necessitates modernization of the entire building. However, with a competition underway for the museum’s new director, the concept and vision for this modernization will be shaped by the incoming director,” notes Dr. Lajus.
The upcoming modernization is expected to spark a broader public debate about the future of the National Museum in Warsaw.
