Narutowicz’s House

When designing the new seat of the Polish People’s Movement Museum (MPRL), our main assumption was to restore the splendor of the unique Narutowicz House and its surroundings. Looking for the traces of this grandeur, we searched archival materials. The main facade of the House is to become a showcase for the future Museum. We decided to restore the original front pediment above the main entrance and the original spindle driveway in front of the building. The front gate was flanked with two pylons referring to the buildings adjacent to Parkowa Street, destroyed during the war. Thanks to this, the entrance regained its appropriate rank for the future headquarters of MPRL. The remaining park paths with benches surround the natural monument – Narutowicz’s Poplar – and head towards the new pavilion. The garden is to resemble the Royal Łazienki Park located on the other side of the street, with the planned pavilion closing and complementing it. The glazed facade opens it up to the surroundings as much as possible. The simple rhythm of the openwork facade made of dark wood constitutes the contemporary background architecture. The pavilion has been moved as far as possible from the Narutowicz House in order not to disturb its scale and reduce the garden terrace. The second storey has been withdrawn, which made the building block multidimensional and not dominating the Villa. The pavilion opens onto a stepped terrace, closing it on the west side. The courtyard adjacent to the garden is its most important functional element. It is here that the life of the Museum will take place on clear days.

When designing the new seat of the Polish People’s Movement Museum (MPRL), our main assumption was to restore the splendor of the unique Narutowicz House and its surroundings. Looking for the traces of this grandeur, we searched archival materials. The main facade of the House is to become a showcase for the future Museum. We decided to restore the original front pediment above the main entrance and the original spindle driveway in front of the building. The front gate was flanked with two pylons referring to the buildings adjacent to Parkowa Street, destroyed during the war. Thanks to this, the entrance regained its appropriate rank for the future headquarters of MPRL. The remaining park paths with benches surround the natural monument – Narutowicz’s Poplar – and head towards the new pavilion. The garden is to resemble the Royal Łazienki Park located on the other side of the street, with the planned pavilion closing and complementing it. The glazed facade opens it up to the surroundings as much as possible. The simple rhythm of the openwork facade made of dark wood constitutes the contemporary background architecture. The pavilion has been moved as far as possible from the Narutowicz House in order not to disturb its scale and reduce the garden terrace. The second storey has been withdrawn, which made the building block multidimensional and not dominating the Villa. The pavilion opens onto a stepped terrace, closing it on the west side. The courtyard adjacent to the garden is its most important functional element. It is here that the life of the Museum will take place on clear days.