Museum of Art in Lódź

Reconstruction and extension of the tenement house, the seat of Museum of Art in Łódź

Client: Museum of Art in Łódź

Location: Łódź, ul. Gdańska 34

Area: 1 430 m²

Design Team: Maciej Taczalski, Karolina Taczalska, Marek Solnica

A two-story tenement house at ul. Gdańska, which is now the seat of the Museum of Art in Łódź, was established around 1880 and designed Ignacy Markiewicz. It is subject to conservation protection through an entry in the register of monuments.

The main idea behind the design was to create a distinctive, representative entrance area to the museum complex, with utmost focus placed upon accessibility and introducing new functions available for the visitors.

The ground floor creates a buffer zone between Gdańska Street and the building’s interior in form of an arcade, spreading across the whole length of the elevation. Within the arcade, a glazed wall establishes an urban and spatial relationship between the street, the interior of the museum and the courtyard – people passing by are able to see through the building into the historic patio, where exhibitions and all other events will take place.

The reconstruction of the tenement house, due to the introduction of variety of new functions, protection of collections and high fire safety requirements, entailed the removal of virtually all internal components of the building – including ceilings, partition walls and all installations. Only the external walls have remained, preserving the architectural décor.