Museum of Fire: Exhibition pavilion in the "burning" town

When the Polish town of Żory was founded in the 12th century, large areas of forest had to be burnt down to make space for the new settlement. To this day the town is the site of a »Festival of Fire« in the summer. »Żory« means »fire«, and the city emblem is a small flame. This relationship to fire was the basic idea behind the design for an exhibition pavilion for Żory, leading to a building form that has the look of dancing flames. To reinforce the impression of fire still further, OVO Grabczewscy Architekci gave the structure a striking copper façade, resulting in a shiny outer skin that is noticeable at night even from afar. To keep the metal shiny it has been given HDP treatment to prevent verdigris from developing. The museum pavilion has three entrances, a multifunctional hall with reception and information desks on the ground floor and an exhibition hall featuring an underground multimedia show on the phenomenon of fire. During the Festival of Fire an outdoor exhibition space is additionally put to use.