The Frederic Chopin Museum, once the renovations of Warsaw's Ostrogskich Castle in which it is housed are complete, will have a concert hall and a larger exposition area with a new layout with multimedia facilities. There will also be special access for disabled people.

Ostrogskich Castle is situated on the Vistula Escarpment, between Nowy Świat Street and the river. The castle was built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries as the Warsaw residence of castellan Janusz Ostrogski. The Musical Institute moved to the site in 1858. The institute, which became the Warsaw Conservatorium in 1919, was the successor to the Warsaw Conservatorium of Chopin's youth.


After being leveled during World War II, the castle was rebuilt between 1949 and 1954, using the original plans of Tylman of Gameren (1632-1706), as well as drawings by Zygmunt Vogel (1764-1826) and prints by Canaletto (1720-1780). The bust of Chopin was added to the tympanum of the east elevation as a symbolic architectural detail when the castle was rebuilt.

The building has housed the Frederic Chopin Society ever since. It is also home to the Frederic Chopin Museum and has been managed by the Frederic Chopin Institute since 2005.

Renovation of the castle began in the middle of last year. The idea was to turn the museum into a contemporary museum-cum-educational center that could display a broad collection of memorabilia of the composer in a new and appealing fashion. Rearranging the cellar of the castle and moving the library to the Chopin Centre has left significantly more room for expositions and functions, as can be seen by the new concert hall and conference area.

The museum will have a modern storage area, which it will share with the Frederic Chopin Institute, and an information center. The castle elevations are still being renovated and the underground passageway between the museum and the Chopin Centre is still being built. The remaining work is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of 2010.