After a construction period of around two years, a consortium comprising HOCHTIEF Polska, HOCHTIEF Solutions and Warbud (consortium leader) completed the World War II Museum in Gdańsk in March. The facility will open on Thursday this week and is planned to attract up to 400,000 visitors annually.
The World War II Museum is located just a few kilometers from the spot where, on September 1, 1939, the first shots of World War II were fired during the German invasion of Poland. With a total area of 58,000 square meters, the museum has been designed as a multifunctional building. Its main part comprises exhibition and museum rooms. The building also houses a library, lecture halls, conference rooms, a cinema, archives, a storage area of exhibits, administration and hotel rooms as well as an underground car park. At the top level of the building, a restaurant offering panoramic views has been placed.
The museum is divided into three zones symbolizing the past, present and future. The past is literally hidden deep inside the building: the permanent exhibition on the events of the war time area is located at a depth of 14 meters. The unique facility is characterized by a 7-story concrete tower in the shape of a leaning prism with a trapezoid foundation and a height of approximately 40 meters at its highest point. The incline of the tower visually refers to the shipyard cranes and the military history of the city of Gdańsk.