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
Office Buildings | Feb 1, 2021
609 W. Randolph begins construction in Chicago’s West Loop Gate
Antunovich Associates designed the project.
Office Buildings | Jan 27, 2021
New creative office space completes in Silicon Beach
SPF:architects designed the project.
Office Buildings | Jan 19, 2021
Anchorage to receive new glacier-inspired office building
Perkins&Will is designing the building.
Office Buildings | Jan 12, 2021
Epic Games purchases North Carolina mall to convert into new HQ
The video game company is currently valued at over $17 billion thanks to Fortnite, its massively popular battle royale game.
Architects | Jan 5, 2021
Ware Malcomb finds itself in the mix for multiple diverse projects
Its latest completion is an office/factory/warehouse combo for one of Marvin Window’s brands.
Giants 400 | Dec 16, 2020
Download a PDF of all 2020 Giants 400 Rankings
This 70-page PDF features AEC firm rankings across 51 building sectors, disciplines, and specialty services.
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Office Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. office building sector
Gensler, Jacobs, and STO Building Group head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest office building sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Government Buildings | Nov 25, 2020
New Indiana Toll Road headquarters creates unified environment for staff
New LEED Gold facility consolidates operations for tollway authority.