Architecture firm Goettsch Partners has been retained by developers Golub & Co. and Golub GetHouse Sp. z o.o to design a new Class A office development project located in Warsaw, Poland.
The Mennica Legacy Tower development is located in the central business district of Warsaw. GP will collaborate with Epstein, a design firm with offices in both Chicago and Warsaw, which will guide the project through the government approval process in Warsaw and serve as architect and engineer of record as well as design engineer for MEP and structural engineering services.
The program is divided into a 35-story tower located on the south east side of the site and a10-story building on the west side of the site. It is part of a newly-approved master plan that governs development in this area.
The project consists of approximately 100,000 gross sm, with 80,000 gross sm of Class A office space that includes a conference and a fitness center, as well as ground level retail. Four levels of underground parking and ancillary services encompass the remaining 26,000 gross sm. Between the two structures is a large open plaza that provides ample space for outdoor seating and a variety of landscape features.
James Goettsch, FAIA, CEO and Chairman of GP, explains one of his firm’s goals for this project, “…an opportunity to do more than just build a building. The office tower and the lower block are designed to be integrally linked with the large urban plaza, and the result will be an ensemble that will create a unique ‘sense of place’ which we hope will enhance the public realm of Warsaw.”
The 2,000-sm tower floor plate provides an almost column free space with 11- to 13-meter lease spans and a 1.35-meter planning grid. The tower mass has rounded corners on the northeast and southwest sides that reduces the visible length of the east and west facades, and features a strong vertical edge on the opposite corners. The southeast and northwest corners are further highlighted by slightly recessed vertical slots that break up the building’s mass and introduce a dominant, recognizable feature that will make the building an urban landmark. The textured, saw tooth facades reinforce the rounded corners and gives the enclosure an ever-changing appearance as one moves around the building.
The southeast corner of the tower steps in three-floor increments outwards towards the top, which opens up the slot to the sky and creates a dynamic and unique profile that will be a glowing building feature at night. A sloping screen wall at the building’s top further highlights the profile and emphasizes its highest point on the southeast corner.
The taller building will have a three-story lobby with a cable-supported enclosure, utilizing a low iron glass with a non-reflective coating that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior space. The tower core is clad with large stone slabs that accentuate the solid mass of the core, in contrast to the lightness of the building’s lobby.
Construction on Mennica Legacy Tower is expected to begin late in 2015 and will be completed late in 2018.
Related Stories
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 key design interventions for a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace
Numerous studies and mountains of evidence confirm what common sense has long suggested: healthy, happier workers are more productive, more likely to collaborate with colleagues, and more likely to innovate in ways that benefit the bottom line, writes Gensler's Kirsten Ritchie.
| Dec 28, 2014
Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials
Driven by changing work styles, mobile technology, and the growing presence of Millennials, today’s workplaces are changing, mostly for the better. We examine the top office design trends.
| Dec 27, 2014
7 ways to enhance workplace mobility
The open work environment has allowed owners to house more employees in smaller spaces, minimizing the required real estate and capital costs. But, what about all of their wireless devices?
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Dec 18, 2014
In response to ultra-open and uber-collaborative office environments
Susan Cain’s bestselling 2012 book, "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking" has made an impact on how we understand our current workforce, recognizing that at least one-third of the people we work with are introverts, writes SRG Partnership's Susan Gust.
| Dec 12, 2014
COBE's striking 'concrete finned' scheme wins competition for Adidas' flagship building in Germany
Danish firm COBE has been announced the winner in a contest to design a new Adidas flagship building in Herzogenaurach, Germany. It beat out 29 other teams, including REX and Zaha Hadid.
| Dec 10, 2014
International Olympic Committee releases first images of new HQ in Switzerland
Designed by 3XN, the new headquarters is located within a park on the shores of Lake Geneva and adjacent to historic Château de Vidy, which has been the iconic home of the IOC.
| Dec 6, 2014
Future workplace designs shouldn’t need to favor one generation over another, says CBRE report
A new CBRE survey finds that what Millennials expect and need from offices doesn’t vary drastically from tenured employees.
