The Polish chocolate brand Wedel set out to create a magical experience for visitors to its museum — which offers a journey into the enchanting world of chocolate-making, while celebrating the rich history of the iconic Wedel brand.

Arup’s team provided technical and engineering advisory services to Wedel, guiding the museum’s investment lifecycle from start to finish. We managed the tender process to select the exhibition curator and prepared architectural and construction documentation, ensuring the client received the best value for their investment.

Our specialists assessed technical and functional solutions, developed the budget, and optimised costs. Later, we supervised the construction and installation phases, including the interior fit-out work. 

The museum is nestled within Wedel’s building formerly used to store cocoa beans at Warsaw’s Kamionkowskie lake in Praga district. Ten percent of the existing structure, including the underground structure and ground floor, was reused to reduce the project's carbon footprint. The development also includes a manufacturing space, where the famous chocolates ‘Barrels’ are made, and an R&D lab for testing new products.

The chocolate-like museum building

The museum is designed to resemble a chocolate bar, with ornamental mesh-like structures that serve a functional purpose. These structures maintain optimal conditions for chocolate production, which requires limited sun exposure, while still allowing some natural light to reach employees. To raise awareness about reusing existing structures, the building kept parts of the old factory structure in the exhibition room dedicated to cocoa.

Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are greeted by the sight of a chocolate waterfall and the irresistible aroma of chocolate. Arup’s specialists collaborated with various partners, including the graphic design firm behind the chocolate-inspired signposting, to ensure seamless navigation throughout the museum.

Our team also oversaw solutions to enhance accessibility for visitors such as Braille descriptions, a tactile model of a cocoa fruit, and an interactive system that combines audio and visual animations triggered by visitor actions, from weighing themselves to pulling levers.

A family playing on a chocolate-inspired exhibit

The museum's design mimics a chocolate bar, featuring decorative, functional mesh-like structures. © E. Wedel

 

 

 

A family interacting with a display in a chocolate museum

Visitors are welcomed by a chocolate waterfall and aroma, with seamless navigation worked on by our specialists with various partners. © E. Wedel

Cost effective flooring solution

Our team explored several flooring options to align with the historic charm of the iconic Wedel factory. Tiling seemed like the perfect fit, offering a classic look that echoed the original floors. But high costs and a three-month installation timeline made it impractical.

To address these challenges, our engineers recommended PVC flooring with a tile-imitating print. This alternative achieved the desired aesthetic at one-third of the cost and reduced installation time to just one month. Moreover, the material’s rubber-like texture simplifies maintenance and enhances safety, offering a slip-resistant surface particularly beneficial for people with different levels of ability and young visitors.

People interacting with an exhibit in a museum

Our engineers proposed cost-effective PVC flooring with a tile-like print, cutting costs by two-thirds and enabling installation within a month. © E. Wedel

Arup's engineering and technical support have enabled us to develop timely and cost-efficient solutions for the E. Wedel Chocolate Factory and Museum.

Adam Łazuka

Project Manager of E. Wedel Chocolate Factory Museum

Partners & collaborators

WWAA / BIM Architekci