Great Armoury
| Great Armoury | |
|---|---|
 The Great Armoury in 2013 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Address | Targ Węglowy 4 Śródmieście, Gdańsk |
| Coordinates | 54°21′03″N 18°38′56″E / 54.3508°N 18.6488°E |
| Year(s) built | 1600–1605 |
| Completed | 1605 |
| Owner | Academy of Fine Arts |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Anthonis van Obbergen |
The Great Armoury (Polish: Wielka Zbrojownia; German: Großes Zeughaus) is a 17th-century former arsenal beside the Targ Węglowy in Gdańsk today housing the Academy of Fine Arts. It is on the regional heritage list.[1]
Characteristics
The Great Armoury is found beside the Targ Węglowy. Constructed in a Mannerist style, it is a signature feature of the Targ Węglowy, and was inspired by the Meat Hall in Haarlem. It has 3 floors and an attic, whilst the top of its façade are four gables, and the accompanying separation between parts of the building makes it appear as if the building is subdivided into four different constructions.[2] The top of the façade is decorated with bas-reliefs of Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of warfare; soldiers of the city of Gdańsk and exploding cannonballs; and a carving of Ivan Pidkova.[3]
History
The Great Armoury was built from 1600 to 1605; its architect was Anthonis van Obbergen and construction was overseen by Hans Strakowski. It was used as an arsenal up to 1793. During the time of the First Free City of Danzig, it was used as a military hospital. After the fall of the First Free City, it was mostly used for storing old firearms, also hosting a collection of portrait paintings up to 1866. In 1919, a restaurant, Zeughaus-Automat, was opened on the building's first floor, notable for housing several vending machines for purchasing ready-made meals.[4]
In 1922, the Great Armoury was taken by the city of Danzig, and the following year, the ground floor was transformed into a trade passage, featuring various shops. The passage was described by Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass in one of his works.[3] In 1945, it was severely damaged and rebuilt from 1947 to 1951. In 1951, an art exhibition was displayed in the building, which, in 1952, was handed over to the Academy of Fine Arts; the Academy moved into the Great Armoury in 1954. The Armoury's ground floor was again repurposed into a trade passage, which lasted until 2007.[4] After the closure of the trade passage, the Academy began looking for investors to buy and use said passage, but few presented favourable arrangements.[5][6]
The former trade passage was opened to art exhibitions in 2012[7] and, as of 2025, remains in this function.[8]
References
- ^ "Zestawienia zabytków nieruchomych - woj. pomorskie" (PDF). nid.pl. National Institute of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ Babnis, Krystyna (10 July 2014). "Wielka Zbrojownia ze studnią". zabytek.pl. National Institute of Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Wielka Zbrojownia". infogdansk.pl. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ a b Duchnowski, Tomasz. "WIELKA ZBROJOWNIA". gedanopedia.pl. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ Klimowicz-Sikorska, Marzena (22 September 2010). "Pech Zbrojowni: znowu bez inwestora". trojmiasto.pl. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ Klimowicz-Sikorska, Marzena (4 April 2011). "Co dalej ze Zbrojownią?". trojmiasto.pl. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Zbrojownia otwarta. Na razie dla sztuki". trojmiasto.pl. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ Mielke, Magda (4 June 2025). "Feminizm, queer, las, dyplomy i plakaty. O tych wystawach będzie głośno". trojmiasto.pl. Retrieved 15 August 2025.