Ghelamco Group obtains building permits for two prestigious Polish projects
Ieper, 31 January 2010 – Ghelamco Group has obtained building permits for two prestigious office projects in the Polish capital, Warsaw, in the past month. The permits will allow Ghelamco Group to start construction works on the Warsaw Spire, the capital’s tallest office building set to dominate Warsaw’s skyline, and on Senator, a top class office building to be constructed at the site of the old Polish National Bank.
As the effects of the global economic recession became apparent in early 2008, Ghelamco Group decided to sell many of its projects and to reinvest the proceedings into the continued construction of its projects, obtaining building permits for its pipeline projects and adding prime land plots to its land bank. “The issuing of building permits for two prestigious Polish projects confirms Ghelamco Group’s strategy and will enable the Group to deliver sufficient office space in Warsaw to meet market demand,” says Ghelamco Group CEO Paul Gheysens.
The Warsaw Spire will be a class A office tower complex offering 100,000 m² of office space in Warsaw’s new business district. The main, 220 m tall tower will be complemented by two 55 m high satellite towers. Designed by the renowned Belgian architecture office Jaspers-Eyers & Partners, the Warsaw Spire will be set around a 4,000 m² courtyard with a tailored tree landscape, fountains, restaurants and high end retail facilities. In addition, it will have approximately 1,200 underground parking bays. Construction is scheduled to start later this year and the project’s first phase is scheduled for completion in 2012. Already, negotiations with candidate tenants are underway.
Aimed at Warsaw’s top corporate world, Senator will offer a contemporary version of the former Polish National Bank building. From as early as the 18th Century, the Senator site at Bielanska Street and Solidarnosci Avenue was associated with Poland’s state finance, as it accommodated the State Mint, the Russian State Bank and the Polish National Bank respectively. Ghelamco Group and its architects, Jaspers-Eyers & Partners, AB-Project and Architraw GB, succeeded in designing a unique, six floors class A building that combines the site’s rich heritage with top quality modern office features. The atrium dominated ground floor level will be dedicated to high end retail. Access to the offices is provided via two entrances leading to three reception desks and elevator foyers. Senator’s layout will allow for large office floor areas of up to 4,000 m². Construction is expected to start later this year and Senator should open its doors in 2012.