Ghelamco is closing its 30th anniversary year in Poland in a very good mood. The commissioning of Warsaw UNIT, one of the most modern buildings in Poland, and two commenced investments, including a high-rise building, are the most important goals achieved. Very good results were also recorded in the residential sector.
“After a challenging 2020 for all, we entered this year full of optimism. When everyone was wondering about the future of the office market, we consciously launched two more investments: The Bridge in Warsaw and Craft in Katowice. On top of this, we have started further residential projects. The biggest success was the commissioning of Warsaw UNIT, which is full of innovative solutions. The sale of Wołoska 24 is the icing on the cake,” said Jeroen van der Toolen, Managing Director for Central and Eastern Europe at Ghelamco, summing up 2021.
30 years have passed…
In 1991 Ghelamco entered Poland. Over the past 30 years, as an investor, developer and general contractor, the company has delivered over 1,200,000 sqm of office, residential and warehouse space to the market. Over the years, Ghelamco has strengthened its position by introducing innovative and technologically advanced buildings to the market, setting the direction of real estate development in Poland, while being an environmentally and socially responsible developer.
Outstanding Warsaw UNIT
In one of the last weeks of the year, Warsaw UNIT received a BREEAM certificate of Outstanding level, achieving one of the best results in the world at the level of 88.5 percent. This certificate confirms that Ghelamco wants and builds the most modern and ecological buildings, not only in the country. UNIT is also certified to the Green Building Standard, and a little earlier received pre-certification in the latest WELL v2 Core system. The building is also in the process of obtaining a WELL Health-Safety Rating and the title of “Building Without Barriers”. 57 thousand sqm of modern office space on 45 floors are available for rent in Warsaw UNIT. The building implements Signal OS, Ghelamco’s proprietary operating system, as well as innovative anti-pandemic solutions.
Skyfall – a unique attraction on a global scale
Skyfall Warsaw has opened on the 46th floor of the Warsaw UNIT building. Sky Bar with a panoramic view of the centre of Warsaw. At the heart of the site is an almost 200-metre high platform with a glass floor that swings outwards by 15 degrees, offering visitors an experience never before seen in Europe. Ultimately, the attraction is to be accessible to tourists. Its opening will take place in spring 2022.
Bridge to the future and copper CRAFT
Ghelamco is one of the few developers on the market to have launched three large office investments during the pandemic. At the end of 2020, the company announced the launch of the KREO project in Krakow, and this year the construction of the Warsaw skyscraper The Bridge and the CRAFT office building in Katowice were announced.
The Bridge is a 47,000 sqm, a 174-metre-40-storey skyscraper that will stand next to and be connected to the former Bellona publishing house. This will create a symbolic bridge between the old architecture and the modern building. The effect of this combination will be an extraordinary lobby that will link the two buildings, creating a composition never seen before on the Polish market. It will also have state-of-the-art technical and ecological solutions. It will be certified under the WELL, BREEAM and Green Building Standard systems, as well as “Building Without Barriers”. The building is already gaining international recognition – winning the Office Development category in the prestigious European Property Awards 2021–2022 and progressing to the International Property Awards. The expected completion date is the end of 2024.
Craft will offer 26,700 sqm of high-end office space. It will have 13 floors and 55 metres in height, with a two-floor underground car park to accommodate 218 vehicles. An additional 28 spaces are provided in an above-ground car park. The office building will be located at the junction of Chorzowska and Ściegiennego streets, next to the Silesia City Center shopping centre. It will consist of three stacked cuboids, making room for six terraces, one of which will be on the roof. The façade of the building will feature copper-coloured elements, which will give it an industrial character reminiscent of Katowice’s industrial heritage. The office building is expected to be ready by the end of 2022.
SignalOS – advantage through innovation
The latest technologies installed by Ghelamco in its buildings are supported by its proprietary SignalOS system. It is a solution that combines an advanced BMS, access control system and application into one intelligent operating system for office buildings. The solution offers unlimited possibilities for controlling, analysing and managing the building. This makes buildings greener and more comfortable for users. Depending on their needs, specific user groups will be able to control and supervise the operation of the building. Tenants using Signal OS can issue virtual access cards to their employees. The users themselves, on the other hand, can call the lift, go through access control or invite a guest thanks to the building app. The system is already being used successfully in The Warsaw HUB and Warsaw UNIT.
More houses and flats
Ghelamco has also set its sights on residential projects in 2021. The developer has virtually sold out the flats in the unique Foksal 13/15 townhouses and the exclusive Flisac apartment building. In addition, nearly 100 per cent of the single-family houses in the first stage of the GROEN investment in Konstancin were sold out. Further phases are already under construction. The company has also started the construction of a new housing estate in Piaseczno.
Kocham Warszawę
Ghelamco, as a city-creating developer for years, not only builds high-quality buildings but also thinks about how they will affect the surroundings. For this reason, Ghelamco was the first company in Poland to design and build a public city square. Over the past few years, Plac Europejski (European Square) has been the venue for many cultural and sporting events that have been an attraction for Varsovians of all ages. For its 30th anniversary, the developer summed up its activities by issuing a “Report on CSR activities”.
“We have been creating friendly places for 30 years. Our driving force is innovation in both sustainable construction and technology. What sets us apart is our focus on people and their needs. The report we have prepared sums up our actions so far,” said Jarosław Zagórski, Sales and Development Director at Ghelamco Poland.
This year, as the construction of The BRIDGE began, the site was partially adapted for construction work. The city’s ArtWalk art gallery will continue to operate and Warsaw residents can expect a new exhibition in early 2022. Ghelamco, meanwhile, is working on a new design for Plac Europejski, which will return in an even more attractive form once the construction work is complete.
