Future plans

The Krzysztofory Palace renovation

     A purpose of complete Krzysztofory Palace renovation project, is not only an adaptation of the building to the present standards or improvement of the exhibition and scientific activities’ conditions in accordance with a present model of the European museum institution, but also restoration of the palace’s original design everywhere it is only possible. A new room management plan will let to eliminate secondary arrangements of the space and clearly present the primary construction design. Moreover the exhibition space will be doubled. On the second floor we are going to restore primary room design and give an attic, which until now has been out of use, a utilitarian function. This is almost 700 m2 of underestimated space in the strict centre of Kraków. In the attic the Gallery of Modern Art is going to be arranged. Thanks to this space, the museum, and the city at the same time, will gain 300 m2 of very attractive space for presenting the newest art from Kraków. High technology lift will be able to take 13 people to all floors of the palace. Because of the fact that it will be placed in the courtyard, the historical architecture inside of the building won’t be damaged. Thanks to the lift, people using wheelchairs without any difficulties will be able to visit the museum and even more take up a job in the museum.

     The exhibition part of the museum will be extended with rooms, which so far have been occupied by the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor „Cricoteka”, and basements – used by the Krzysztofory café. An arcaded gallery thanks to entirely glazed, sliding wall, will also be joined to the exhibition area and became a part of the permanent exhibition. The movable roofing will help us in arranging summer exhibitions and concerts in the courtyard regardless of the weather conditions.

     Under the courtyard’s ground we plan to build spacious lecture-hall for almost 180 people. It will be an underground object with the reception area. Special ramp will grant access to the hall for disabled people as well. Such location of the hall, in spite of many technical and conservatory difficulties, will reap the museum many benefits such like restoring exhibition function to many rooms of the palace, which currently are having only demonstration function. Functional independence and lack of direct connection of the underground hall with the rest of the building, will give us a possibility of letting the hall other institutions. The building of the economically-technical background at 4 Jagiellońska Street is going to receive a new function – reception, administrative and organizational. Moreover there will be located quest rooms. Opened for a general use library with a scientific and storage background will be located on the ground floor of the main building at 2 Szczepańska Street. Three thematic reading-rooms, equipped with high-tech multimedia stations will be available for disabled people as well. Superstructure of the transformer station will cover, increasing together with the museum, requirements for the technical background. However it should meet, probably even more important function – it will close the courtyard and create a curtain which will isolate unattractively looking backyard. The basement’s renovation related works performed in 2007 allowed us to uncover hidden under the ground fore-doorsteps – characteristic for medieval Kraków’s Main Square architecture form. Walls, vaults and stone relicts have survived in a well shape. During the archaeological research even medieval pavements have been discovered. Thanks to construction of the exposition room placed under the Main Square ground, the Museum of the City of Kraków will be the first place in Kraków, where the original, medieval fore-doorsteps can be looked by the visitors from outside.

     The activities of the museum are very important for Kraków. The city is expanding very dynamically and the importance of the European metropolis is growing. All these things bring new requirements for the biggest city cultural institution – the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków. To become a modern institution, suitable for the 21st century, apart from preparing interesting, competitive exhibition and educational offer, the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków have to take care of modernisation and equipping its departments and branches with resources/accessories compatible with the European standards. The museum of present day should not be just a place of temporary and permanent exhibitions, but also a place of meetings and conferences. It should be a place of interchanging information and spending free time. It should make a friendly climate for all – inhabitants and tourists from Poland and whole over the World. That is why it’s so important for the Museum to renovate the Krzysztofory Palace, the special place in the middle of Krakow, near to the Main Square, where just after the redecoration, a new, modernised permanent exhibition - „The History of Krakow” will be opened.

New warehouses and preservation workshops of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków at 337 Księcia Józefa Street

    In December 2007, by virtue of the notarial deed, the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków got a new building at 337 Księcia Józefa Street in Kraków. The building is an incomplete, not ready for use extension of a school. At the beginning of 2008, it was decided that in the building, in the next few years, modern warehouses and preservation workshops would be created. The building was designed at the end of 90’s by the Studio of Architecture and Art Spatial Layout Planning - “PLAN-PROJEKT-ART” as a school. We have to change and adapt the building to the needs of the museum. In the mid of 2008 the museum signed a contract with the “PLAN-PROJEKT-ART” company for preparing conceptual design including all necessary infrastructure. The design has already been submitted to the Architecture and town-planning department for approval. At the moment the museum is signing a contract with the “PLAN-PROJEKT-ART” company for preparing multiple construction design, required for starting the investment. When all works are completed the museum will have 2200 square maters of surface assigned for warehouses and preservation workshops. In the nearby of the building we are going to build a parking, technical buildings and a garage.