Thomas Phifer and Partners (TPP) has been chosen, from a shortlist of eleven architectural practices, to design Warsaw’s new Museum of Modern Art and TR Warszawa Theatre, Poland.
The New York-based practice has beaten other architectural heavy weights to the win the commission, including Foster + Partners and UNstudio. The new museum will be located in Warsaw’s Defilad Square, at the foot of the Palace of Culture and Science.
TPP scored the commission on the basis that its design is a key point of connectivity to the overall city and boasts maximum transparency to the public. This is blatantly displayed by the buildings high glass walls, allowing for openness and large amounts of natural light as well as immediate social interaction.
The museum will cover 15,000sq m (161,458sq ft) and will be attached to the 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) theatre via a roof terrace, providing a large amount of public space in a vibrant outdoor area that will be used to host exhibitions and concerts.
In a statement, the MoMA Warsaw said: “The museum and the theatre became the owners of the land for the site of the future construction,” adding that the majority of the funding was secured from the City Budget.
TPP aims to complete the design phase of the project by mid-2016 and the complex will be looking to open its doors by late 2019.
