Varso

Last updated

Varso
Varso Logo.jpg
Varso 05.2022.jpg
Varso in May 2022
Varso
Former namesChmielna Business Center
Record height
Tallest in European Union since 2021 [I]
Preceded by Commerzbank Tower
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Architectural style Neomodern
Location Warsaw, Poland
Addressul. Chmielna 69/71
Coordinates 52°13′43.05464″N20°59′57.03022″E / 52.2286262889°N 20.9991750611°E / 52.2286262889; 20.9991750611
Construction startedDecember 2016
Topped-outFebruary 2021
CompletedSeptember 2022
Cost€500 million
Height
Architectural310 m (1,017 ft) [1] [2]
Roof236 m (774 ft)
Observatory230 m (755 ft)
Technical details
Floor count53
Floor area140,000 m2 (1,506,900 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators47
Design and construction
Architect(s) Foster + Partners
HRA Architekci
Developer HB Reavis
Structural engineer Buro Happold [3]
Website
varso.com

Varso or Varso Place is a neomodern office complex in Warsaw, Poland. It was designed by Foster + Partners and developed by HB Reavis. The complex features three buildings; the main one, Varso Tower, is the tallest building in Poland, the tallest building in the European Union, and the sixth-tallest building in Europe at 310 m (1,020 ft) in height. [4] It was topped out in February 2021 and completed in September 2022, with the opening of the observation deck planned for summer 2025. [5]

Contents

Design

Varso Tower's green (lower) observation deck Varso - widok na zielony taras widokowy.jpg
Varso Tower's green (lower) observation deck

Varso Place is located in Wola, on the corner of Chmielna Street and John Paul II Avenue (pl). Construction takes place on a plot of 1.72 ha (4.3 acres), purchased in 2011 from PKP by the Slovak company HB Reavis for approximately 171 million  złoty. [6]

The estimated cost of construction was approximately €500 million (2.27 billion zł in 2021). Initially, the project was named Chmielna Business Center, being later changed to Varso, which references the Latin name for Warsaw—Varsovia.

The original plan was to build a 130-metre (430 ft) tall skyscraper. The project was later revised and the total height of Varso Tower was increased to 310 m (1,020 ft) including a spire surmounting the building. [1]

Varso Place is a complex of three buildings: a 310 m (1,020 ft) main tower (roof height reaching 230 m (750 ft) with an 80-metre (260 ft) spire on top) and two buildings with a height of 81 and 90 m (266 and 295 ft), respectively called Varso 1 and Varso 2. The total area of Varso Place is 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft), with 10,300 m2 (111,000 sq ft) dedicated to commercial services. British-based architecture studio Foster + Partners designed the main tower and HRA Architekci was responsible for designing the Varso 1 and Varso 2 buildings. [7]

Varso 1 and Varso 2 22 maja 2020 - Ulica Chmielna.jpg
Varso 1 and Varso 2

At a height of 230 m (750 ft) on the main tower, 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 the 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. [8]

Construction

The excavated glacial erratic seen on the Mokotow Field 2018 Warszawa glaz Varso, 9.jpg
The excavated glacial erratic seen on the Mokotów Field

The general contractor is HB Reavis Construction, a company from the HB Reavis Group. The building permit for Varso was obtained in December 2016, with construction work commencing the same month. [9]

In early 2017, the construction team had to move a transformer that was powering the Warsaw Central Station, as it was located exactly where the Varso Tower would be built. [10] In October 2017, at a depth of 10 m (33 ft), a 60 tonne glacial erratic was excavated at the construction site. It was pulled out using a specialized crane and then transported to Mokotów Field, 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. [11]

On 20 February 2021, the final piece of the spire was lifted to the top of Varso Tower, bringing the skyscraper to its full height of 310 metres (1,017 ft). [12] [13] The tower was completed in September 2022. [14] [15]

Varso Tower became the tallest building in the European Union by surpassing the Commerzbank Tower, in Frankfurt, Germany, which previously held the record at 259 m (850 ft). [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace of Culture and Science</span> High-rise building in Warsaw, Poland

The Palace of Culture and Science is a notable high-rise building in central Warsaw, Poland. With a total height of 237 metres (778 ft), it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw and Poland, the sixth tallest building in the European Union and one of the tallest on the European continent. At the time of its completion in 1955, the Palace was the eighth tallest building in the world, retaining the position until 1961; it was also briefly the tallest clock tower in the world, from 2000 until the 2002 installation of a clock mechanism on the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building in Tokyo, Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commerzbank Tower</span> Skyscraper in Frankfurt, Germany

Commerzbank Tower is a 56-story, 259 m (850 ft) skyscraper in the banking district of Frankfurt, Germany. An antenna spire with a signal light on top gives the tower a total height of 300.1 m (985 ft). It is the tallest building in Frankfurt and the tallest building in Germany. It had been the tallest building in Europe from its completion in 1997 until 2003, when it was surpassed by the Triumph-Palace in Moscow. Since the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the tower had briefly reclaimed its position as the tallest building in the European Union only to lose the title again in 2021 when Poland's Varso Tower topped out. The Commerzbank Tower is only two metres taller than the Messeturm, which is also located in Frankfurt and was the tallest building in Europe before the construction of the Commerzbank Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shard</span> Skyscraper in London, England

The Shard, also referred to as the Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a pyramid-shaped 72-storey mixed-use development supertall skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Bermondsey, London, that forms part of The Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres high, The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, the seventh-tallest building in Europe, and the second-tallest outside Russia behind the Varso Tower in Warsaw, which beats the Shard by less than half a metre. The Shard replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wola</span> Major financial district in Warsaw, Poland

Wola is a district in western Warsaw, Poland. An industrial area with traditions reaching back to the early 19th century, it underwent a transformation into a major financial district, featuring various landmarks and some of the tallest office buildings in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsaw Trade Tower</span> Skyscraper in Warsaw, Poland

The Warsaw Trade Tower (WTT) is a skyscraper in Warsaw, Poland. Along with Varso Tower, Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw Spire and Warsaw Unit, it is one of the five buildings in Warsaw with a spire height greater than 200 metres (660 ft). The tower is the seventh tallest building in Warsaw and the ninth tallest in Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Złota 44</span> Skyscraper in Warsaw, Poland

Złota 44 is a residential skyscraper in central Warsaw, Poland. It was designed by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, in association with Polish architects Artchitecture. It was developed by US real estate investment manager Amstar and Warsaw developer BBI Development, which bought the topped-out but unfinished building from its initial developer, ORCO. The building is sometimes referred to as Żagiel although the skyscraper's architect drew inspiration for Złota 44 from the shape of an eagle's wing symbolizing changing Warsaw, Poland and freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Tower (Wrocław)</span> Skyscraper in Wrocław, Poland

Sky Tower is a skyscraper in Wrocław, Poland. At 212 metres (696 ft) and featuring 51 floors, it is the tallest building in Wrocław and was also the tallest building in Poland in the category of height to roof until Varso Tower overtook it in 2022. Construction began in 2007 and was completed in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Warsaw</span> Overview of the architecture of Warsaw

The architecture of Warsaw has influenced and reflected the history of Polish architecture. The city of Warsaw features prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects. Warsaw's palaces, churches and mansions display a richness of color and architectural details.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsaw Spire</span> Office complex in Warsaw, Poland

The Warsaw Spire is a complex of neomodern office buildings in Warsaw, Poland, constructed by the Belgian real estate developer Ghelamco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HB Reavis</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skysawa</span> Skyscraper in Warsaw, Poland

Skysawa is a pair of buildings in the center of Warsaw, Poland. The buildings are at 36 Świętokrzyska Street on a lot previously occupied by a 1960s 10-storey office building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bridge (Warsaw)</span> Skyscraper in Warsaw, Poland

The Bridge is a 40-storey skyscraper under construction in the Wola district of Warsaw, Poland. Designed by Amsterdam-based UNStudio, the 174 metres (571 ft) tower is due to be completed in 2025 as Poland's tenth tallest building.

Ghelamco is a Belgian real estate developer founded in 1985. Based in Ypres, the company currently carries out investments in Belgium, Poland, the United Kingdom, France and Cyprus.

References

  1. 1 2 "2017 Vinci annual report" (PDF). vinci.com. Vinci SA. 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "Varso Tower / Chmielna Business Center" (in Polish). urbanity.pl. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "Varso Tower". The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat . Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  4. ↑ Parkes, James (26 October 2022). "Foster + Partners completes EU's tallest building in Warsaw". Dezeen . Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "Magnicity to operate the top of Varso Tower in Warsaw, the tallest skyscraper in the European Union". Varso. HB Reavis Poland. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "PKP sprzedały grunty przy Dworcu Centralnym". tvn24.pl (in Polish). 16 November 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  7. ↑ Gibson, Eleanor (11 January 2017). "Construction begins on Poland's tallest tower by Foster + Partners". Dezeen . Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Dowell, Stuart (14 September 2022). "Tallest building in EU officially opens to become 'new symbol of Warsaw'". The First News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  9. ↑ Smisek, Peter (24 April 2019). "EU's Tallest Tower under Construction in Poland". The B1M. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Hayes, Mike (18 March 2020). "Varso Tower: The challenges of high-rise". khl.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "HB Reavis lifts rock". EurobuildCEE. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  12. ↑ Bretan, Juliette (22 February 2021). "Warsaw skyscraper becomes EU's tallest building". Notes from Poland. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  13. ↑ North, Nathan (22 February 2021). "Varso Tower now the EU's tallest". EurobuildCEE. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  14. ↑ "Varso Tower completed". EurobuildCEE. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022. HB Reavis has completed the construction of the tallest skyscraper in the EU – Varso Tower.
  15. ↑ "Ruszył montaż iglicy na Varso Tower". NowaWarszawa.pl (in Polish). 21 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  16. ↑ McLaughlin, Katherine (26 October 2022). "The Tallest Building in the EU Was Just Completed in an Unexpected City". Architectural Digest . Retrieved 20 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.