LivUp, a company active on the Polish PRS market, has begun the revitalisation of the tenement house at 8 Moniuszki Street in Warsaw – a place with a remarkable history and a strong presence in the city’s identity. This is where the famous Café Adria once operated. One of the most elegant venues before the Second World War, known for its revolving dance floor, celebrity performances and the vibrant atmosphere of pre-war Warsaw. Thanks to the modernisation, the building will reappear on the city’s map in a new, refreshed version, as a refined residential development dedicated to long-term institutional rental. Additionally, high street retail and food & beverage spaces are also planned.
The project involves the reconstruction, extension and conversion of the building from office and service use to residential use. The renovated building, featuring six residential floors and a usable floor area of nearly 2,600 sqm, will accommodate 65 apartments ranging from 25 to 64 sq m, designed to create a high-quality living experience tailored to modern urban lifestyles in the very heart of Warsaw. The project includes air conditioning in every unit, functional interior, spacious layouts and access to common areas shaped by LivUp’s unique design approach, focused on enhancing residents’ everyday experiences. Residents will be able to enjoy an elegant lobby with a reception desk, common leisure and work areas, an intimate fitness, recreational zones, a bicycle room and a landscaped terrace on level +1. A green rooftop terrace with a view of the city skyline is also planned. The building will additionally include areas designated for potential retail, service or dining uses on the ground floor and two underground commercial levels totalling approximately 1,200 sqm of GLA. Construction works began in August 2025 and are scheduled for completion in the second half of 2027. Techbau has been appointed as the general contractor.
“Moniuszki 8 is an absolutely trophy project. It will bring together the history of Warsaw modernism with LivUp’s contemporary high standard of living in the city centre. This is the first revitalisation project in our portfolio, so we aim to restore the building’s former glory while respecting its extraordinary heritage and to offer beautifully designed apartments for rent that elevate the everyday living experience. In addition to the residential component, Moniuszki 8 also offers commercial space. We see strong potential for these units to become an attractive destination for retail and F&B operators, adding value not only to the project but also to the surrounding urban fabric. Highlighting this part of the scheme is important to us, as the right commercial tenants will help bring new energy to the building and broaden its appeal,” says Shay Baruch, CEO of LivUp.
APMD Architects is responsible for the building’s modernisation design, with the new architectural form carefully integrated into the historic character of the site. The building, constructed between 1928 and 1930 for the Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà insurance company to a design by Edward Zachariasz Eber, is a valuable example of classicising modernism and is listed in the Municipal Register of Monuments. The work, developed in line with a conservation plan agreed with the Mazovian Conservator of Monuments, will include the renovation of the façade, the restoration of the monumental Ionic columns and entablature, preservation of original stonework, reconstruction of stucco details and the restoration of the characteristic lions that have guarded the entrance from Moniuszki Street for decades. All windows will be replaced with wooden frames reflecting the historical divisions and colours approved by the conservator. After the revitalisation is completed, a plaque commemorating the heroic deed of Jan Kryst “Alan”, a Polish Home Army (AK) soldier who carried out a solo operation against German officers in Adria on 22 May 1943, will also return to the façade.
“Moniuszki 8 is a project that demanded particular sensitivity from us. This building is deeply rooted in the memory of the city, yet it is now entering an entirely new chapter. We wanted the revitalisation to capture both the spirit of interwar Warsaw and the energy of today’s city centre. Working on the form and details, we aimed to restore the façade’s elegance and bring lightness, functionality and freshness to the entire structure. Once completed, the building will not only regain its dignity but will also become a modern home that responds to the needs of contemporary city dwellers,” says Piotr Lasek, President of the Board at APMD Architects.
The interior design has been prepared by the Warsaw-based IDSTUDIO, offering an original interpretation of interwar aesthetics.
