Four Domes Pavilion

The Four Domes Pavilion in Wrocław is a modernist exhibition hall by German architect Hans Poelzig that now houses the Museum of Contemporary Art, a branch of the National Museum in Wrocław. Standing next to the UNESCO-listed Centennial Hall, it holds one of Poland's key collections of postwar and contemporary Polish art. If you are looking for things to do in Wrocław beyond the Old Town, this is an easy and rewarding pick.

From a 1913 exhibition to a film studio

Wrocław was the German city of Breslau when the pavilion went up in 1912–1913 for the Centennial Exhibition, which marked 100 years since the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Leipzig. Poelzig's building hosted the historical exhibition, with 56 rooms. Between the wars it showed modern art, including works by Paul Klee in 1920.

After 1945 the city became Polish, and its German population was replaced by settlers, many from prewar eastern Poland. In 1948 the pavilion was part of the "Recovered Territories Exhibition," and the 348-foot (106 m) Spire still standing outside dates from that show. From 1953 the building served as the Wrocław Feature Film Studio, where classics such as Andrzej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds and Wojciech Has's The Saragossa Manuscript were shot. The National Museum took over in 2009, renovated it in 2013–2015, and opened the museum on June 25, 2016. The pavilion is part of the Centennial Hall World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2006.

What to see

The single-story concrete building has four wings around a courtyard, each topped by a dome — two round, two elliptical. Inside are more than 64,500 sq ft (6,000 m²) of gallery space.

• Permanent collection of Polish art from the second half of the 20th and the 21st century: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Tadeusz Kantor, Alina Szapocznikow, Władysław Hasior, Mirosław Bałka, Katarzyna Kozyra and more.
• Temporary exhibitions in the west wing.
• The domes themselves, bright and airy from below, a favorite photo spot.

Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Opening hours and tickets

As of October 2026 (winter schedule, October 1–March 31):

• Tue–Thu 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Fri 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Mondays. The ticket desk closes 30 minutes earlier.
• Permanent exhibition: 20 PLN standard, 15 PLN reduced; under-7s free.
• Free admission to the permanent exhibition on Tuesdays.
• Bought a ticket to the Racławice Panorama? It gets you into the pavilion's permanent exhibition free within 3 months.

How to get there

The pavilion is at ul. Wystawowa 1, about 2 miles (3 km) east of the Market Square. Take a tram to the Hala Stulecia stop. There is paid parking at the Centennial Hall. Wrocław Airport (WRO) lies about 6 miles (10 km) west of the center; Kraków is roughly 3 hours away by train.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes — especially combined with the Centennial Hall, the Pergola fountain and Szczytnicki Park with its Japanese Garden, all within a few minutes' walk. The zoo is across the street, so families can make a full day of it.