The Cloth Hall, also known as the Sukiennice, houses the Gallery of 19th century Polish art of the National Museum in Krakow. The museum contains a rich collection of works of Polish, European and non-European art, and is the biggest museum in Poland in terms of numbers of buildings, galleries and number of art artefacts.
Read more about the Sukiennice here.
An interactive museum
Prior to the renovation that started in 2006, the exhibition conditions in the Sukiennice were far from adequate. With €5.2 million in grant support from Norway Grants, the roof and terraces in the museum have now been reinforced and new heating sewage, lighting and fire protection systems have been installed.
According to experts, the remodeled gallery better reflects its 19th-century interior design. The museum has also been made interatcive; its 196 paintings and 19 sculptures are now flanked by a new multimedia hall, an educational room and touch screens.
At a ceremony that marked the finalisation of the renovation works, Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Bogdan Zdrojewski, appointed several “Ambassadors of the Gallery in Sukiennice”, including literary Nobel Prize winner Wisława Szymborska, actress Magdalena Cielecka, singer Grzegorz Turnau and charity activist Jurek Owsiak.
Photo: Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage