Like many other cities in Upper Silesia, Katowice’s history is closely linked to that of heavy industry and mining. These form the backbone of the region, and their effects have left strikingly artificial landscapes, industrial plants and buildings behind that are permanently anchored in the collective consciousness. The situation in Katowice is unique in that the coal mine is located near the city center. This offers the opportunity to create urban planning, landscape planning and architectural highlights in the area near the city center and jump-start a new project to encourage the post-industrial reuse of comparable areas – both regionally and nationally – in the future.
The concept has been developed with the aim to offer multiple opportunities to use the museum, while minimizing external intervention. The space used for the museum, conference areas, museum education areas and restoration, as well as the information center, are entirely underground in honor of the former function of the site. From above ground, the complex appears exclusively as the abstract glass cubes of the administration areas, which reveal the development and provide daylight, and which are proportioned to fit harmoniously into the ensemble of existing buildings. Together with the new network of paths, squares and green spaces, the result is a gracefully-designed public recreational area. The design also provides for the careful adaptation of the existing buildings into a café and work spaces for artists-in-residence. The existing mining tower will also be accessible to visitors through the addition of a lift and offers a panoramic view over all of Katowice.
