WXCA picked up the International Architecture Award 2024, in the reconstruction/restoration category for plans its plans to bring to life the Polish capitol’s Saxon Palace, some 80 years after it was levelled by the Germans.
The firm’s award-winning design will resurrect the Neoclassical palace along with the adjacent Rococo Brühl Palace, and three townhouses; all of which were destroyed in 1944 during the Nazi occupation in retaliation for the Warsaw Uprising.
Thanks to historical records, including archival photos and archaeological excavations, WXCA has proposed a faithful restoration, using traditional materials to recreate the exteriors of these iconic buildings.
Inside, the building will have a new layout, more suitable for modern use.
“Behind the façade, we are completely changing the form and the usage of the building,” Małgorzata Dembowska, one of the architects involved in the project, told TVP World from Athens where she was attending the awards’ ceremony.
“And it is for the better because historically, back in 1939 the palace was not open to the general public. Now, it will be an open, welcoming space for everyone to explore.”
The jury of the International Architecture Awards recognized how WXCA gave prominence to the only surviving remnant of the Saxon Palace, three columns.
The columns form one of the most important monuments in Poland: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The remains of the Polish warrior were laid to rest in 1925 and are still guarded day and night the Polish Army.
The significance of the tomb and the need to treat it with respect affected the design, especially when it came to a proposal to rebuild, in its entirety, the Saxon Palace colonnade; a row of evenly spaced columns.
“We deliberated for a long time on how to do it properly,” said Dembowskia. “In the end, we decided to rebuild all of it but to keep a small gap between the restored columns and the Tomb. So, from a distance, it will look like a full row, but when you come closer you will be able to distinguish the old part because it will retain its original color and shape.”
The plan to rebuild the palace has not escaped controversy.
While many applauded the proposed revival of the now windswept Piłsudski Square—where the palace will be sited—some pointed out that the cityscape of Warsaw has changed to such a degree that the rebuilt Saxon Palace will look out of place in the city’s post-war architecture.
“We need to search for new solutions. It is 80 years since WWII and Piłsudski Square in its current shape has a different emotional and historical resonance. The current shape of the site is chaotic but squeezing in new use into the old form of a palace is not the right approach,” Grzegorz Piątek, a renowned Warsaw architecture expert, told TVP World.
But Dembowska counters this, saying restoration is part of European heritage.
“Today I’m in Athens - the birthplace of architecture - getting ready to collect our award. It is bringing into focus our Warsaw efforts, seeing all the ancient buildings that were restored and their emotional resonance.”
A global competition, the international Architecture Award 2024 is organized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and saw over 850 entries.
