Thrilling symbolism expressed in unique architecture
All technical acceptances at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, erected by a consortium of HOCHTIEF Polska, HOCHTIEF Solutions and Warbud (leader) have been completed. The constructed facility is an example of a building whose architecture very clearly reflects its character and function. The space of the Museum has been divided into three zones, which symbolize the reference between the past, present, and future. The past is hidden on six floors of the building’s underground with the lowest level at a depth of 14 metres where the permanent exhibition is located. The present is inscribed in the open space of the square around the Museum. While the future is reflected by a soaring structure with a vantage point at the top. A unique solid of the facility is created by a 7-storey reinforced concrete tower in the shape of the leaning prism of a trapezoid foundation (at the “0” level of the building) and with the height of approximately 40 metres at its highest point. The basement inside a structure of diaphragm walls with an area of 14,300 square metres has got a pentagon shape. The central façade of the tower has been executed in the form of a glass façade, arranged on a steel structure. The incline of the tower refers to the shipyard cranes and the military history of the city of Gdańsk. The implementation of the tower, due to its construction, has been one of the more difficult tasks in terms of engineering. Another challenge has been to secure the construction site, where more than 80 per cent of the surface area is underground.
The Museum of the Second World War, located in the immediate vicinity of the channel of the Radunia river, is a multifunctional facility. Its main part comprises exhibition and museum rooms, but the building also houses a library, lecture halls, conference rooms, a cinema, archives, a storage area of exhibits, administration and hotel rooms as well as an underground car park. At the top level of the building a restaurant with panoramic views has been located. The total area of the Museum is approximately 58,000 square metres. The project implementation also included the execution of parking lots, external public roads, squares and a section of the new Motława River wharf.
(©HOCHTIEF Polska)
