Wola Retro – where history meets modernity

The pre-war building is now being modernised and adapted to contemporary office and service standards. As a result, it will form part of a modern class ‘A’ office complex. More than half of the available office space was leased as early as six months before its opening.

Historic architecture

Wola Retro is a combination of history and modernity, which is unusual for office projects. A modern class ‘A’ complex is being built, while an adjacent four-storey pre-war building is being revitalised at the same time. Together this represents a unique project on the Warsaw office market, fusing history and the modernity.

The original building was designed by a two eminent Polish architects: Bohdan Lachert and Józef Szanajca. It was completed in 1939 and for many decades this modernist structure served as an office and warehouse building and was where the governmental Social Insurance Institutions Supply Department was based. Its distinctive rounded gable ends and concrete barrel roofs are to be preserved and renovated. Both give the building a wonderful frame for the addition of new façades. The project for modernising and integrating the building into the Wola Retro complex has been prepared by the Kuryłowicz & Associates architectural studio, which includes Ewa Kuryłowicz as a general designer and Piotr Żabicki as the main designer along with a team including Mariusz Sułek, Tomasz Kopeć and Tomasz Duszczyk.

“We were enthused from the very outset by the idea of integrating the pre-war building into a modern office complex. The combination of the location, state of the art technology and the unique atmosphere of a pre-war tenement building will give Wola Retro a distinctive character. We are delighted to have the opportunity to take on such a project for new buildings that can fit into the existing urban fabric while respecting local traditions,” explains Ewa Kuryłowicz, the general designer and vice-president of the Kuryłowicz & Associates architectural studio.

Once the modernisation work has been completed, the pre-war section of Wola Retro will become a fully-fledged class ‘A’ office building. The leasable area in the revitalised building will come to more than 6,000 sqm, while the total available office space in the complex will amount to more than 24,000 sqm. The complex will also have 300 parking spaces on two underground levels. A shared space between the buildings will be another unique feature, as well as a green courtyard and the glazed two-storey entrance hall.

“The building process for Wola Retro has been a signficant challenge for us. We’ve put considerable effort into adapting the pre-war section of the complex to current office standards. It was necessary to demolish some brick and reinforced concrete structures, dismantle doors and windows, as well as carry out façade and insulation work, among other tasks. Since 2012 the building has been listed on Warsaw’s monuments register, so all the work is being carried out in accordance with the requirements and recommendations of the city’s historic monuments conservation department. This project confirms that Wola’s business district can continue Warsaw’s great urban tradition,” says Piotr Pirogowicz, the leasing director of LC Corp. “It is six months before the opening of the Wola Retro complex and we are extremely pleased with the way the project is going. We have managed to achieve superb results by successfully combining a historic building fitted with modern and comfortable offices with two newly created office buildings that will dominate the entire complex. These results are reflected in the substantial interest from potential tenants,” he adds.

The total available office space in the complex will amount to more than 24,000 sqm

The leasing process

Six months before its opening, Wola Retro’s office space has continued to enjoy strong interest from potential tenants. It is already almost 60 pct leased, which shows how well LC Corp’s latest investment has been received by the Warsaw office real estate market.

“Companies appreciate its excellent location in the heart of the capital. The project is situated in Wola district, near some of the city’s major transport hubs, just next to the new Płocka metro station, which is to open this year. As a result, the daily commute to the office building will not be an issue. We offer special parking spaces for both motorbikes and scooters. There will also be a two-storey underground car park for larger vehicles. For those who prefer to cycle to work, we will provide all the necessary facilities, including bike racks, locker rooms and showers,” reveals Izabela Miśta-Brzeska, a leasing manager at LC Corp. Cushman & Wakefield has been chosen as the exclusive leasing agent for Wola Retro. LC Corp’s confidence in the company is based on their previous success together in leasing offices in Wrocław and Katowice.
“LC Corp has put its trust in Cushman & Wakefield once again by choosing us as the exclusive agent for the building. We are happy that our experience and previous success together has led to us taking part in the Wola Retro leasing process. Working on such a unique property that combines history and the most modern systems, as well as where the investor has paid attention to every single detail, is a pleasure for us. We are also certain that the work in such an environment will be exceptionally comfortable for its eventual tenants,” claims Anna Kaźmierska, an associate in the office landlord representation department at Cushman & Wakefield.

A number of planned amenities will also add to the comfort of working in the Wola Retro office complex, such as a 24/7 reception, a security service with a monitoring system, parking spaces for external clients, access control and two independent building power systems. One important advantage of this office building will be the greater freedom tenants have when it comes to arranging their office space, allowing them to design it according to their exact needs.