The Main Building of the Polish Aviation Museum won the grand prize at the CEMEX Building Award 2011 in the category of public and industrial buildings.
On 27 October 2011, in Mexico, the CEMEX Building Award competition for the world’s best concrete buildings was decided. In the public buildings category, the grand prize was awarded to the new headquarters of the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow. The building, designed by the German firm Pysall Ruge Architekten and Bartłomiej Kisielewski, has a shape reminiscent of a propeller. Despite the use of architectural concrete, the structure does not overwhelm with its size. The designers also incorporated the latest ecological trends – the building is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Thanks to the appropriately designed and constructed exhibition section, it is possible to display large-scale exhibits inside.
The New Building of the Polish Aviation Museum has previously been distinguished in a number of prestigious competitions, including being nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award for the best European contemporary architecture, and receiving the grand prize at the PLGBC Green Building Awards 2010 for the best green building in Poland without certification. The museum building was constructed between 2008 and 2010 and financed under the Małopolska Regional Operational Programme for 2007–2013. The value of the investment entitled “Construction of the Aviation Cultural Park, including the Main Building of the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow” amounted to PLN 45.8 million net. PLN 10.6 million net was allocated from the Małopolska Regional budget, and PLN 35.2 million net from EU funds.
