Results of the competition for the rebuilding of Saski Palace

At noon on October 12, 2023, the results of the competition for the development of an architectural and landscaping concept concerned with rebuilding of the Saski Palace, the Brühl Palace and townhouses on Królewska Street in Warsaw were announced. Eleven architectural studios and consortiums participated in this international contest. In the second stage, five of them submitted their architectural concepts. The winner was announced today at the headquarters of the Society of Polish Architects (SARP).

International architectural competition

The selection of the winning concept for rebuilding of the western frontage of Piłsudski Square in Warsaw, i.e. the Saski and Brühl Palaces, as well as three townhouses at 6, 8 and 10/12 Królewska Street that were demolished in 1939-1944, is another milestone of the project which commenced in December 2021. The solemn moment was preceded by many months of hard work by architects tasked with preparing a concept that meets the strict requirements of the competition announced on March 27, 2023 in the Tenders Electronic Daily - the Supplement to the Official Journal of the EU. Most importantly, in accordance with the Act of August 11, 2021, the buildings are to be rebuilt with their external architectural shape from August 31, 1939 - the last day before the outbreak of World War II - preserved. One of the most difficult requirements was undoubtedly the clear separation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, reconstructed just after the war, from the newly rebuilt colonnade it was a part of until December 1944. Similarly, fragments of the preserved basement of the Saski Palace, entered into the register of monuments in 2007, need to be preserved as well. The competition specified that once the edifice has been reconstructed, the basement remnants are to be displayed and open to the public.

The interiors of the buildings, their functional layout and accessibility were considered to be of utmost importance while drawing up the competition's assumptions. While the external shape of the restored edifices will de facto require a design based on archival materials, photographs and plans, the interiors will have to be adapted, inter alia, to the needs of the present day, including the activities of the institutions which will be housed there. These include the chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, the Mazovian Provincial Office and entities organizing cultural, educational and socially useful activities. The offering of the latter will be available to anyone who wishes, for example, to attend an intimate concert, visit an exhibition, participate in a conference or a workshop.

Results of the architectural competition for the Saski Palace rebuilding concept

In order to ensure correctness of the process of selecting a design that meets the requirements of the Act and the Functional and Utility Guidelines defined in cooperation with future users, and in order to perform a substantive evaluation of the submissions filed, Pałac Saski sp. z o.o. appointed, at the end of 2022, the Association of Polish Architects (SARP) as a competition operator. A 12-member jury was appointed, comprising highly experienced architects, representatives of the state and Warsaw authorities, conservation services and the art community. The competition itself consisted of two stages preceded by a qualification phase during which the experience and the technical capabilities of the entrants were verified. The following winners have been selected by the jury from five shortlisted applicants participating in the final stage of the competition:

First place – WXCA Group sp. z o.o.

Second place – FS&P ARCUS sp. z o.o. & K. Ingarden, J. Ewý Architekci sp. z o.o. & Asman Pieniężny Architekci sp. z o.o.

Third place – LAN & P2PA sp. z o.o.

Two honorable mentions were also awarded to:

Piotr Płaskowicki Architekt

AMC - Andrzej M. Chołdzyński sp. z o.o. - sp. komandytowa

Co-financed from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland "Reconstruction of the Saski Palace, the Brühl Palace and tenements at Królewska Street - preparation works".