On the 27th of October 2011, the international Cemex Building Award competition for the best buildings in the world made with architectural concrete technology was decided in Monterrey. Two buildings from Poland made it to the finals: the Prosta Tower by Kurylowicz & Associates studio and the new building of the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow by Pysall Ruge Architekten and Bartlomiej Kisielewski.
An international jury decided that the best public building in the world made of concrete was the new building of the Polish Aviation Museum, which received the top prize of the Cemex Building Award 2011 in the category of public and industrial buildings.
This is a great honor for the entire project team and those involved in the realization of this investment. It also shows that objects are being built in Poland that are recognized around the world.
The CEMEX Building Award has been awarded for 20 years to architects and builders for the best buildings completed using concrete technology at the national and international level. To date, the competition has awarded projects from more than 20 countries around the world. The international award is given in three categories: residential buildings, public and industrial buildings, and infrastructure and urban development facilities. This year, a total of 634 projects were submitted for the 20th edition of the competition.
The Polish Aviation Museum was designed by the team of Pysall.Ruge Architekten and Bartlomiej Kisielewski (co-owner of Horizone Studio). Arup Polska was the structural designer.
The Museum building, financed in part by EU funds, was put into use in October 2010. It performs representative and exhibition, office, and scientific and conference functions. The investor of the building is the Museum of Polish Aviation – a cultural institution of the Malopolska Region.
The modern building creatively refers to the historical landscape of the former airport. The building is mostly finished using exposed architectural concrete, in two colors: light gray and anthracite. According to the project’s authors, the monochromatic large-format concrete surfaces are to serve as a background for the exhibits and architectural details placed inside the building.
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