The King’s Rembrandt Exhibition by NArchitekTURA

Designed by Narchitektura for the Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow, this unique backdrop is a work of architecture built around a single painting—Rembrandt’s masterpiece ‘The Polish Rider’. Every element of the set is designed in an attempt to initiate a multi-layered dialogue between the exhibited work of art, the wider context of the artist’s oeuvre, and the castle’s historic interior.

“One of the aims of the design was to create a space that is distinctive, unique, and contemporary in expression—diametrically opposed to the historic surroundings in which it was exhibited at Palace on the Isle in Warsaw and in its permanent home at the Frick Collection in New York,” elaborates the Narchitektura design team.

Narchitektura The Kings Rembrandt Exhibition Design Wawel Castle Photo Bartosz Haduch Yellowtrace 17

Narchitektura The Kings Rembrandt Exhibition Design Wawel Castle Photo Bartosz Haduch Yellowtrace

Narchitektura The Kings Rembrandt Exhibition Design Wawel Castle Axonometry Yellowtrace 19

Axonemtric of the exhibtion space. Drawing courtesy of Narchitektura.

The tailor-made space revolves around a fluid plywood wall that contrasts with the regular outline of the existing room and chequered marble floor. The shape of this lightweight screen was inspired by a single, flowing line that can be noticed in Rembrandt’s sketches, paintings and engravings.

Two oval openings sit on either side of the wall, an indirect reference to Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait with Two Circles (1665–1669). One ‘window’ encases the painting, drawing viewers deeper into the world of the artist.

The second—on the opposite side of the room—curves around a sunset-like lamp. The light creates the illusion of natural light within the interior, the reflections visible on the canvas across the way.

With this captivating design, Narchitektura look to capture the same mystery surrounding the masterpiece, and allow for a freedom of perception and interpretation.