Home>News>Archive>Renovation of the Crane closer and closer. The symbol of Gdańsk will undergo comprehensive modernization

Official handover of the construction site. From the left: Robert Domżał, Director of NMM, Jerzy Skorłutowski - representative of the contractor and dr Marcin Westphal, Deputy Director for Subject Matters at NMM.

Renovation of the Crane closer and closer. The symbol of Gdańsk will undergo comprehensive modernization

Publication date: 3 June 20223 June 2022

The management of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk handed over the construction site to the “Skorłutowski” General Partnership Jerzy and Ewa Skorłutowscy Construction Company, who will perform the conservation, renovation and modernization of the Gdańsk Crane. Thanks to this investment, the historic port crane will get a new glory.

Renovation under the supervision of a conservation officer

The construction and conservation work at the Gdańsk Crane – a branch of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk will be conducted on a large scale. The work includes the conservation of brick walls, repair of roofing and wooden structure. Everything will be conducted under the watchful eye of a conservation officer.

– The most significant changes will affect the interior of the building. We will replace the electrical system, sanitary fixtures and, above all, the system responsible for the protection and security of the facility. To that end, we have designed a special building management system – says dr Robert Domżał, Director of National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk.

The Crane covered by scaffolding

The construction works under way and the related safety reasons require the contractor to build scaffolding around the Crane and occupy part of the road lane. This means that for several months one of the symbols of Gdańsk will not be visible for tourists. The first fence around the Crane will appear on April 4, while at the end of June, scaffolding will be erected from Szeroka Street.

– The renovation place is unique. We are talking about the very centre of the city, with compact development and crowds of visitors in summer. We already know that the Crane Gate will be closed. The contractor will also have to take into account the Dominican Fair, very popular event organized by the city and the planned renovation of Długie Pobrzeże Street – adds Robert Domżał.

The Crane interior a new attraction in Gdańsk

The reconstruction of all floors in both towers and a part of wooden lift will make it possible to modify the existing sightseeing route and make the previously unused space available to visitors. The narration of the new permanent exhibition covers the city port life in its glorious times and the history of trade between Gdańsk residents and merchants from other European cities.

– The Crane is a technical monument and the oldest medieval port crane in Europe. The completed works will contribute to the preservation of this unique facility for the future generations, improve the comfort of visiting the site, and thanks to the energy efficiency solutions, reduce the environmental burden – adds Szymon Kulas, Deputy Director for Administration and Technology at NMM.

International cooperation guarantees success

The project also involves partnership activities with the Museum Vest and the Lindesnes Museum – cultural institutions from Norway. Moreover, the production of a historical and educational movie is already underway, as well as the carpentry and historical building conservation trainings. The international exchange of experience will also take place during workshops in the field of carpentry and modelling.

The investment is estimated at nearly 18 million PLN. The project implementation is co-funded from external sources: nearly 13 million PLN is covered by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA funds, and over 2 million PLN comes from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, while NMM’s own contribution (from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage) amounts to over 2.5 million PLN.

The agreement with the contractor was signed on 14 March 2022. From that day, the company has 23 months to perform the construction and conservation works. The entire project shall be completed in spring 2024.

The project “Maintenance, renovation and modernization of the Gdańsk Crane – a branch of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk with the creation of a new permanent exhibition” is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.