The competition area is located within the former industrial complex in the city center. The museum, as one of the more important transformational programs, is situated in a T-shaped building of the former cigarette factory which dominates the northern part of the complex. The competition requires protection of the existing building and its transformation into a museum with a total surface area of 9000 m2.
The main concept stems from the understanding that the MSU (The Museum of Modern And Contemporary Art) should keep its neutral disposition equally in spatial organization and its prevalence without an urban theme, due to its active relationship with contemporary events.
The original building is preserved with an addition of two glazed cubes closing it in a single compact form. The exhibition and warehouse premises are positioned inside, while the external edge of the building (in the new and old parts of the building) has been planned for access to the exhibition and faces outwards.
The part of the program generally open to the public is spread alongside the building. The public hall follows the north-south axis, providing access to the exhibition area, shops, restaurant and public parking space in the basement. This area has been extended to the roof, where other public programs are also situated (the library, café bar, store, etc.), what prolongs the museum’s activity period. The roof kept its original geometry, but was replaced with a glass roof, thus opening it towards the environment, at the same time outlining the building’s new role.