Every hot day poses a huge challenge to all the living organisms of Warsaw. Ever more Varsovians die from hyperthermia during heat waves. Rising temperatures lead to higher mortality rates mainly among the elderly and among those with respiratory conditions, a demographic which is growing due to the ageing of the population and the deteriorating air quality in the city. Therefore, Warsaw needs to urgently adapt to those new thermal conditions. We need architectural solutions ensuring the sustainable cooling of buildings. In the long term, energy-intensive air conditioning systems are a dead end. According to the International Energy Agency such systems are responsible for nearly 20% of global energy consumption and the associated emissions. Yet, their popularity is not decreasing. If this trend continues, by 2050 there will be over 5.6 billion ACs in use worldwide, which will significantly increase the percentage of energy consumption taken up by this sector.

Find out more about the exhibition ”The Cold Days Are Over”: https://muzeumwoli.muzeumwarszawy.pl/en/wystawa/warsaw-under-construction-15-the-cold-days-are-over/

The WARSAW UNDER CONSTRUCTION Festival was established at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw in 2009. It addresses design issues in the broadest possible sense: from industrial design, applied graphics, through architecture and urban planning to social design.