The construction of the Museum of the Second World War – described by its director as “one of the biggest cultural investments being undertaken in Europe” – is on course to open in early 2017 in Gdansk, Poland.

Building on the project, which has been designed by Polish practice Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat, began in 2012 and is now entering its final stages.

The museum will seek to explore the course of the war, putting a particular emphasis on the fate of individuals, communities and nations, and on everyday lives of civilians and soldiers.

“The museum is devoted to the most important event in the history of the 20th century, an event which was not only a terrible tragedy and trauma, but also a time of remarkable heroism and sacrifice,” said museum director Professor Pawel Machcewicz. “For in the name of protecting one’s homeland, freedom, and fundamental values, these events are also relevant today.”

The museum will be housed within a triangular tower reaching 40.5m (132.8ft) in height. The building will have a partly glazed façade and roof and will be lined with distinctive red concrete which will appear to flow down the structure and into a public plaza.

An underground floor will house the museum’s permanent exhibitions across 5,000sq m (53,800sq ft), while floors above will feature educational facilities, lecture rooms, a library, a restaurant and a café offering a view of Gdansk, which was extensively reconstructed following the war.

“The work is in full swing according to the schedule,” said Machcewicz. “The construction deadline is summer 2016 and the main exhibition will be installed by the autumn (Q4).”

Gdansk was selected as the home of the museum because the Second World War broke out in the city on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.

The general contractor for the project is a consortium including Polish firms Warbud S.A. and Hochtief Polska S.A. and German company Hochtief Solutions AG.

The permanent exhibitions have been designed by the Belgian studio Tempora and the Krakow-based firm Nolabel are responsible for the multimedia section.

Daniel Libeskind was on the jury which chose Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat’s competition-winning design.

He said: “This Museum of the Second World War will become a unique and powerful icon, as well as a public attraction standing for the never-to-be-forgotten history of World War II, a new symbol that will inscribe itself in the hearts of the people of Gdansk, Poland and Europe."

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