Poland South-East: Krakow, Katowice and Lublin
The second trip in Poland is in the South East and just as worthwhile as the North Eastern trip. Krakow and Katowice are close - on the A4 it takes less than 1 hour - and Lublin is a bit farther away - 3,5 hours - but it is a nice drive. Krakow is a major tourism destination. The old city is beautiful but alas also crowded. The architectural places below are more quiet.
Krakow - Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow MOCAK
The museum’s aims to present the latest international art, organize education as well as research and publication projects. The idea behind the building, opened in 2011, was to merge with the environment rather than becoming an urban landmark. That idea worked out. Part of the new building was ‘sunk’ into the surroundings, thereby becoming invisible. The museum is situated outside the old city centre, on the southside of the river. Public space surrounding the MOCAK is limited. The architecture is not spectacular, but it is very nice and pleasant. Moving around in the big spaces of MOCAK is easy.
Links: https://en.mocak.pl/
www.claudionardi.it/mocak-museo-darte-contemporanea/
Click to enlarge
Krakow - Centre Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA
Cricoteka is the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor and the first art institution in Poland dedicated to an individual artist. Activities include performances, re-performance, appropriation art, retrospection and memory, archive and anthropology of collection, and interdisciplinary as well as experimental puppet theatre. The centre was opened. A main asset is its situation along the Vistula river, the centre is very visible, it has a lot of open space on the rivier side. Sunlight gives fine reflections. A fine place to grab a chair or sit on one of the benches and enjoy the architecture and the environment - and a coffee.
Links: www.cricoteka.pl/pl/en/
www.archdaily.com/602238/cricoteka-museum-of-tadeusz-kantor-wizja-sp-z-o-o-nsmoonstudio
Krakow - Malopolska Garden of Arts
The Małopolska Garden of Arts is a cross between the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre and the Malopolska Voivodeship Library. The building is a reconstruction, combining historical elements with modern development. It was opened in 2012 and is located in the city centre just outside the historic core. There is hardly any public space around the building, its visibility is limited. You need the address to find it, but it is worth the walk from the historic core of Krakow.
Links: teatrwkrakowie.pl/en
www.archdaily.com/288978/malopolska-garden-of-arts-ingarden-ewy-architects
Krakow, Manggha Museum (Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha)
The idea behind Manggha Museum was Polish - Japanese collaboration. The building's idea was to create a meeting place for the two cultures – on both the historical and contemporary, and both the artistic and technological levels. It was opened in 2014, and an extension (a rather regular box for the office) in 2015. It is situated along the Vestula river. The interior of the musuem is beautiful and the terrace café offers a relaxed anvironment.
link: manggha.pl/
Katowice - Silesian Museum
‘A mine of culture’, the museum is called. Based on the mining heritage of the region and its various cultures, but also on Silesia’s intellectual and artistic background, the Silesian Museum provides "a space for dialogue with the past and the achievements of modernity." The museum wonderfully combines new architecture with preservation of the old mining identity. The museum goes 14.5 m. underground, the observation platform (from where a picture of the Katowice NOSPR below was made) is 40 m. above the ground. The musuem was opened in 2015, and works to improve nearby historic buildings are going on.
Links: muzeumslaskie.pl/en/architecture-and-space/
www.archdaily.com/598987/silesian-museum-katowice-riegler-riewe-architekten
Katowice - Cultural Zone
The Silesian Museum was the first architecture experience of the Katowice Cultural Zone. There are three other places in the same zone that are worth a visit (and nextdoor to the Museum).
First there is the Spodek (Latający Spodek, or Flying Saucer). This remarkable structures was opened in 1971, at that time an avant-garde place. It is a big place for sport and events, and can accomodate 11.000 visitors.
Next to Spodek is the new ICC, International Congress Centre. This big multipurpose facility can accommodate 15,000 visitors, and is linked the Spodek Arena next door. For the architecture tourist, the hall is big, black and beautiful hall. Most enjoyable is the landscaping - the building has a grass rooftop. There are stairs that can be climbed to reach a viewing platform.
The building of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) is the home of one of the best-known and respected Polish ensembles. Their 'seat' was opened in 2014, and contains a large concert hall with 1800 seats, and spaces for recording repetition for the Orchestra.
Links: www.spodekkatowice.pl/en/ , https://nospr.org.pl/en/o-nas
www.mckkatowice.pl/en/ , https://www.inyourpocket.com/katowice/spodek_32246v (with a map of the cultural zone)
Lublin - Centre for the Meeting of Cultures
The Centre for the Meeting of Cultures is the only noteworthy new architecture in Lublin, but it is worth a trip. The Centre is intended as a place for dialogue, as a space of meetings, an 'expression of the dreams and aspirations' of the residents of the region, a platform for the promotion and dissemination of culture. It is big - the usable floor area is over 23.000 m2. The builing contain exhibitions spaces, rooftop gardens, a good shop, meeting spaces, studios, etc. It is open access and full of life - visitors enjoying the exhibitions, young people chilling, musicians practicing, and so on.
The building was opened in 2016, while the Music Theatre with its entrance at the backside (and a different, more classical architecture) opened its doors in 2020. It is close to the old city centre. A big public square in front of the buildings functions as an open air extension of the Centre and the square is full of life - art and other activities, a coffee, people crossing the square, etc. Very pleasant.
Link: https://www.spotkaniakultur.com/en