The Garden of the 21st Century will add 2.5 hectares to Warsaw’s Lazienki Park and include an underground exhibition pavilion that will grow out of the undulating garden walkway.
The pavilion and garden are inextricably linked and will be experienced as a large gesture to revitalise the natural and cultural heritage area of the Royal Lazienki, leaving the existing values untouched.
The exhibition pavilion lies nestled beneath the garden, only showing its presence by way of more visible undulation across the garden’s topography, creating wavy garden walls. The two main entrances are carved out of these walls which double as the pavilion’s facades. The vaulted central foyer connects the garden level to the underground exhibition spaces by a sculptural spiral staircase.
Moving through the pavilion and down the stairs will be reminiscent of a historic garden landscape with grottos, waterfalls and bridges sitting amongst a new setting of modern architectural language.
Large circular skylights allow daylight to penetrate the central entrance hall, giving the vaulted space an uplifted appearance. At night, the effect is inverted as light from the pavilion protrudes the garden areas from below, creating a different presence in the park.
