Varso or Varso Place is a
neomodern
Neomodern or neomodernist architecture is a reaction to the complexity of postmodern architecture and eclecticism in architecture, seeking greater simplicity. The architectural style, which is also referred to as New Modernism, is said to have le ...
office building complex in
Warsaw, Poland. It was designed by
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is a British architectural, engineering, and integrated design practice founded in 1967 as Foster Associates by Norman Foster. It is the largest architectural firm in the UK with over 1,500 employees in 13 studios worldwide ...
and developed by
HB Reavis
HB Reavis is a real estate developer company active mainly in Slovakia, Poland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Hungary and Germany. The company is active both in development of new projects and asset management of existing portfolio.
History
...
.
The complex features three buildings, of which the main one, Varso Tower, at in height, is the
tallest building in Poland, the
tallest building in the European Union, and the
sixth-tallest building in Europe. It was
topped out
In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlaye ...
on 20 February 2021 and completed in September 2022, with the opening of the observation deck planned for the first half of 2023.
Design and construction
Varso Place is located in
Wola
Wola (, ) is a district in western Warsaw, Poland, formerly the village of Wielka Wola, incorporated into Warsaw in 1916. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it underwent a transformation into an office (co ...
, on the corner of Chmielna Street and
John Paul II Avenue (pl). Construction takes place on a plot of , purchased in 2011 from
PKP by the Slovak company HB Reavis for approximately . The estimated cost of construction was approximately ( in 2021). Initially, the project was named ''Chmielna Business Center'' and was later changed to ''Varso,'' which references the Latin name for Warsaw — ''Varsovia''.
Project
The original plan was to build a tall skyscraper. The project was later revised and the total height of Varso Tower was increased to including a spire surmounting the building.
Varso Place is a complex of three buildings: a main tower (roof height reaching with an spire on top)
and two buildings with a height of , respectively called Varso 1 and Varso 2. The total area of Varso Place is with dedicated to commercial services. British-based architecture studio Foster and Partners designed the main tower and HRA Architekci was responsible for designing the Varso 1 and Varso 2 buildings.
At a height of , Vista Terrace will become a public observation deck offering panoramic views of the city. A restaurant and a bar called Skytop Restaurant & Bar will occupy the 46th and 48th floors. All three buildings will be connected to each other on the ground floor level and the entire complex will be connected to
Warsaw Central station. A four-storey underground car park will accommodate approximately 1,100 cars, 80 motorbikes and 750 bicycles. The modernisation of the surroundings around Chmielna Street is a part of the investment and it will include new pavements, street lamps, benches, bike stands and signage, as well as planting shrubs and trees.
Construction timeline
The general contractor is HB Reavis Construction — a company from the HB Reavis Group. The
building permit
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...
for Varso was obtained in December 2016 with construction work commencing the same month.
In October 2017, at a depth of , a 60 tonne
glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundre ...
was excavated at the construction site. It was pulled out using a specialized crane and then transported to
Mokotów Field
Mokotów Field ( Polish: ''Pole Mokotowskie'') is a large park in Warsaw, Poland. A part of the parkland is called Józef Piłsudski Park.
Located between Warsaw's Mokotów district and the city center, the park is one of the largest in Warsaw. ...
, where it stood next to the National Library. In the future, it will be moved back and displayed next to the entrance of Varso Tower.
On 20 February 2021, the final piece of the spire was lifted to the top of Varso Tower, bringing the tower to its full height of 310 metres (1,017 ft).
The Varso Tower was completed in September 2022.
Gallery
File:Varso widok z Alej Jerozolimskich 2019.jpg, Varso under construction, 2019
File:01-05-2020 plac budowy Varso.jpg, Varso in May 2020
File:Warsaw under construction, 30.07.2020.jpg, Varso in July 2020
File:17-06-2021 plac budowy Varso z PKiN.jpg, Varso in 2021
File:Chmielna Street in Warsaw, view to the East (Varso Tower).jpg, Varso seen from Chmielna Street
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Poland
Poland has 56 high-rise buildings that stand at least tall, being also one of 17 countries in the world to have a supertall skyscraper (building that rises at least ).
Historically, the title of the tallest building in Poland since the Middle ...
*
List of tallest buildings in the European Union
This list ranks the tallest buildings in the European Union that stand at least tall, based on standard height measurement. This means that spires and other architectural details are included in the official height, but not Radio masts and towe ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Europe
This list of tallest buildings in Europe ranks skyscrapers in Europe by height exceeding 190 meters. For decades, only a few major cities, such as Frankfurt, Paris, London and Moscow contained skyscrapers. In recent years, however, construction ...
*
Architecture of Warsaw
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
References
External links
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Skyscraper office buildings in Warsaw
Buildings and structures under construction in Poland