The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw

A Stalinist skyscraper has long dominated the Warsaw cityscape, but a shiny new snow-white cube is being heralded as a symbol of a post-communist era for Poland’s capital—a journey two decades in the making. Perched near the hulking Palace of Culture and Science, the stark simplicity of The Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw (MSN Warsaw) belies its power. MSN Warsaw is the first permanent location for the museum, which has operated as a nomadic institution since 2005. Inside, the dramatic, double-symmetrical stairs are a grand introduction to the striking design by New York-based firm Thomas Phifer and Partners. This is architecture as art: the steps swoop upward to the galleries, diverging and then reunifying, echoing the museum’s spirit of collaboration and connection. Natural light streams through windows and skylights, inspiring openness and optimism. The inaugural show, The Impermanent, runs through Oct. 5 and draws on more than 150 pieces from the museum’s collection of more than 4,300 works of Polish and international art, including by leading post-war sculptor Alina Szapocznikow and installation artist Monika Sosnowska. After taking in art and architecture that reflect a changing Warsaw, look outside to explore the real thing: the ongoing transformation of the once-drab Plac Defilad—one of the largest public squares in Europe—with new walkways and greenery, as well as the highly anticipated TR Warszawa Theatre, also designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners. The stage is set.