Having soared nearly PLN 500 million over its originally predicted budget of PLN 750 million, the EU has approved a direct grant of PLN 1.2 billion to cover the design and construction of the Museum of Polish History.
Announcing the move on Tuesday, an EU statement also revealed the opening date of what is expected to become one of the most important cultural institutions not just in Warsaw, but in the whole of Poland.
“The European Commission has approved, in accordance with EU state aid rules, a Polish aid measure to finance the design and construction of the new seat of the Polish History Museum in Warsaw,” read the statement.
“The aid will also be used to create a permanent exhibition of the museum in the new seat. The construction is to be completed by the end of 2025. The support will take the form of a direct grant of up to approximately EUR 258.7 million (PLN 1.2 billion), which corresponds to the total estimated costs of project implementation.”
Breaking ground in 2018, the museum building will consist of six levels, two of which will be underground. Spanning an area of 44,000 sq/m, it’ll form part of a museum complex inside Warsaw’s Citadel and will be neighboured by the Polish Army Museum, the Museum of Independence and the Katyn Museum.
Forecast to be visited by over 500,000 people annually, the architectural design has been prepared by the award-winning WXCA studio who have promised a space that will evoke feelings of openness, discovery and, above all, freedom.
