Register: NOV/18/2018, Submit: NOV/18/2018, Eligibility: Architects, designers; individually, teams, Fee: Free, Awards: Winner: 8,000 PLN (Polish zloty) (about 1,800 EUR)

The subject of the competition entry is the preparation of an artistic conception of the arrangement of the entrance zone to a gallery of Polish contemporary art – Lobby, Wroclaw. The arrangement conception should cover the entire available space and take into account the functionalities. According to the conceptual and artistic assumptions of the Organiser, the entrance zone should be: surprising, painterly, inviting, positively affecting the visitors, dynamic (i.e. highlighting the magic of movement), changeable and open enough to be modified in the future, intriguing, compelling the visitor to forget about everyday life. Since the most important painting in the collection is Władysław Strzemiński’s Żniwiarki (Women Harvesting) from 1950, the competition entry should be based on a reference to this avant-garde artist’s practice and his theory of Unism, described most comprehensively in the text Theory of Vision (1958/2016). The starting point for the arrangement conception should also be a contemporary reference to the Neoplastic Room, designed by Strzemiński at the Museum of Art in Łódź (1948) and his design of a villa for poet Julian Przyboś (1930s). Another important reference point for the design of the Lobby is the dynamic logo of the Krupa Gallery, inspired by the alphabet created by Strzemiński.

While preparing the competition entry, the following information should be considered:

The Lobby is the gallery’s entrance zone. The entrance is situated from the side of the main Market Square in Wrocław. Apart from the entrance door, there are two windows facing the Market Square. The Lobby is the main area of people’s movement in the gallery, with stairs leading to the basement (the main exhibition area), the mezzanine (auxiliary rooms, toilets) and the first floor (temporary exhibitions, artistic bookshop). Another important permanent element of the Lobby is a lift shaft. Apart from views of the surrounding area from the door, through the windows and from the stairs on the first floor, there is also a view from the mezzanine. Function-wise, apart from serving the role of a hub, the lobby will be the place where tickets for the main exhibition will be sold. Therefore it must contain a counter or a similar piece of furniture that would be used in selling the tickets or inviting the visitors. The Lobby should also contain a place for displaying visual information about the currently showing exhibitions and activities organised by the gallery, probably in the form of a screen or screens making up a display wall.

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