Location: Kraków, Poland
Year of establishment: 2025
Size: 655 m²
Investor: Royal Castle on Wawel

A new chapter of a legendary exhibition

One of the most valuable collections of militaria in Poland was first opened to visitors in 1930. The outbreak of World War II forced the evacuation of the most precious artefacts, leading to the dispersal of the collection. The Wawel Armory reopened in 1963. Since then, the exhibition created by Adam Młodzianowski has functioned continuously, becoming a symbol of a timeless display style.

After sixty years, the time came for a new chapter of one of the most popular permanent exhibitions at the Royal Castle on Wawel. The goal was to create a new story in which arms and armour are complemented by carefully selected works of art, placing the exhibition in a broader cultural and civilizational context. Winning the competition for the exhibition concept allowed us to translate this idea into a new spatial arrangement encompassing over 800 unique objects, including many previously unexhibited artefacts.

The competition jury appreciated our bold design approach. We rejected safe, standard solutions to propose an original redefinition of the anatomy of the classic museum display case. We chose custom forms with a dynamic structure and a built-in lighting system invisible to visitors. This design decision allowed the form of glass to be organically bound to the historic geometry of the royal chambers. Abandoning common rectangular boxes in favour of individually drawn glazing meant that display cases ceased to be merely a technical protective barrier and became an integral part of the interior architecture.

Full direction of light and shadow became possible by combining the internal illumination of the cases with the appropriate placement and framing of additional sources. This coherent use of light co-creates the emotional narrative of the artefacts and of entire exhibition spaces.

As part of the project we also developed the arrangement and lighting of the medieval stołp – a 12th-century defensive tower, the oldest structure of its kind on Wawel Hill. This unique object is part of an archaeological reserve that until now was inaccessible to visitors of the Royal Castle.