OVO grabczewscy designs żory's museum of fire to resemble dancing flames

OVO grabczewscy designs żory’s museum of fire to resemble dancing flames
photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio
all images courtesy of OVO grabczewscy architekci

in the southern polish town of żory, local practice OVO grabczewscy architekci has completed a copper clad pavilion, designed to promote the region to both locals and visitors. the building’s provocative title – ‘the museum of fire’ – not only references the scheme’s dominant color, but also its jagged and somewhat organic form.

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

prominently situated near a main road, the site is surrounded by previously existing underground infrastructure, reducing the workable area of the plot. once the design team examined the history of żory, a name that in polish means ‘fire’ or ‘flames’, they discovered that the urban core was built in the place of a forest that had been burned down.

‘it became obvious to us, that the building should look like a fire,’ explained the architects. ‘the strange shape of the plot suddenly started to resemble dancing flames. the idea started to crystallize’.

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

the structure comprises three independent walls, that when covered in copper plates resemble dancing flames. three glazed entrances provide access to the pavilion, where the use of red-brown metal has been offset with exposed concrete and glass. guests entering the building are met with a reception lobby, offering visitor information, positioned alongside a multifunctional space. at the lower level of the plan a large open hall can be used for public exhibitions.

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

photo by tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

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project info:

name: museum of fire
location: żory, poland
year: 2015
client: city of żory, nowe miasto żory ltd.
authors: OVO grabczewscy architekci katowice: barbara grabczewska, oskar grabczewski
project team: beata kosok, marta musiał, agnieszka krzysztonek, martyna wojtuszek
plot area: 5,271 sqm / 56,737 sqf
building area: 642 sqm / 6,910 sqf
photography: tomasz zakrzewski / archifolio

main manufacturers/suppliers:
main contractor: voyage sp. z o.o., żory
copper façade: grande polska sp. z o.o.
lighting: ES – system polska sp. z o.o.