Switch on the Saski Palace! A multimedia show in Piłsudski Square
A 3D model of the reconstructed Saski (also Saxon) and Brühl Palaces, along with the townhouses on Królewska Street, which has been attracting the attention of passersby in Piłsudski Square, Warsaw, since May 2024, has been given a new splash of colour. Now, inside the glass pavilion, visitors to the city centre can watch a dynamic audio‑visual show that uses light, sound and the model itself. This modern form of storytelling vividly brings the site’s history to life.
Saski Palace animation
‘Switch on the Saski Palace!’ is a new attraction in Piłsudski Square in Warsaw that will brighten long autumn evenings. It offers an excellent opportunity to explore the rich history of the Saski Palace and its neighbouring buildings in an accessible way. With a single press of a button on the glass pavilion that houses a model of the reconstructed complex of palaces and townhouses, the multimedia show springs to life, transporting visitors to various moments in the site’s history, including Jan Andrzej Morsztyn’s Baroque palace. The bespoke animation not only showcases how the palaces appeared at different stages of their history and architectural evolution, but also introduces the people associated with the site. In addition to animations projected onto the pavilion walls, the miniature palaces and townhouses are enhanced by a custom lighting scheme that synchronises with narration played over speakers, telling the story of the site’s past and future. The finale looks to the near future, when visitors will be able to admire the reconstructed Saski and Brühl Palaces, as well as the townhouses on Królewska Street, and learn more about their planned uses. The multimedia show runs from dusk until 10 pm.
Changes in Piłsudski Square
The reconstruction of the western frontage of Piłsudski Square is gradually transforming the square’s appearance. In 2022, part of the square was fenced off, and work began to expose the partially preserved foundations of the Saski Palace. The following year, the work area expanded, trees were transplanted, and archaeologists uncovered further finds, this time in the courtyard and outbuildings of the neighbouring Brühl Palace.
Each stage of the ongoing reconstruction project has also brought other changes to the square, designed to share progress with the public. In addition to offering glimpses inside through viewing peepholes, the site hoardings enclosing the reconstruction area have become a backdrop for numerous outdoor exhibitions. Among the displays were visualisations of the restored buildings selected through an international architectural competition. Photographs of archaeological artefacts, works from the International Poster Biennale, and archival photographs of wartime Warsaw were juxtaposed with contemporary views. In addition to the exhibitions, two display pavilions have been integrated into the site hoardings. The first presents ‘the treasures of the Brühl Palace’ – selected objects unearthed during archaeological investigations in 2023. The second houses a scale model of the entire complex now being reconstructed; this autumn, it acquired an audio‑visual treatment and became the centrepiece of a multimedia show.
