Among the dunes

Case study

Anna Zamyłka

The courtyard of the complex has undergone the most spectacular transformation

Syrena Real Estate’s renovation of a large office complex provides us with a glimpse into the future of Służewiec in Warsaw. At the beginning of the century, it had become the city’s biggest office district, gridlocked by day and lifeless after working hours. But thanks to such projects, this is now changing

It is estimated that by 2030 over three-quarters of buildings in Europe will be perceived as old and unattractive to both tenants and investors, and so a wave of renovations now seems unavoidable. The challenge for property owners is not only to increase a building’s energy efficiency, but also to adapt it to ever-stricter ESG standards across all three aspects of this evaluation. For properties to remain attractive and competitive any negative impact on the environment now needs to be minimised, they have to be inclusive and contribute to the local community, and they also have to be well-managed. The value of a building these days is determined by many factors. Properties that enhance the local community are places that meet the needs of the individual, that are worker-friendly, and that also meet the expectations of the tenant and neighbouring residents. In a nutshell, no building is an island, since it has to enter into a relationship with its neighbourhood and should also make a positive contribution to it. On top of all this, office buildings are now required to be environmentally-friendly and meet stringent energy efficiency requirements.

Lucky thirteen

Syrena Real Estate adopted an ambitious and responsible approach to modernisation when, together with investor PineBridge Benson Elliot, it took on the task of renovating Marynarska Business Park and rebranding it as the Diuna office complex. The four buildings had been developed by Ghelamco on ul. Taśmowa in the Służewiec sub-district of Warsaw’s Mokotów district in 2008. In 2021, after being in existence for only 13 years, the refurbishment of the complex got underway. “We had been looking for a property for some time that we could not only modernise but also redefine. We wanted to create a new standard of quality for office space and thus add new value to the development. Many properties in Mokotów, despite their attractive locations, have already seen their best days. We understand how tenants’ expectations in regard to offices have shifted and we know how to transform these buildings to make them better. We don’t like demolition and we very much believe in giving developments a second life. For Diuna, we drew up our own modernisation plan that covered three aspects: the outside area and the buildings’ surroundings, the entrance halls to the four buildings, and improving the buildings’ systems; but above all, it was aimed at creating an attractive environment for tenants. This strategy has succeeded,” insists Witold Zatoński, the founder of Syrena Real Estate.

The man behind the grassy knolls

It is the forecourt of the complex that has seen the most spectacular changes. Instead of a 0.6 ha concrete car park, we are now presented with an urban park covered with knolls (dunes), meadows, alleyways and pathways. Architect Maciej Zawadzki of the MJZ Studio was the head designer for the Diuna project. He stresses that it began with examining the grounds of the complex. “In the spatial plan for the area, there was the obligation that it should contain a lot of biologically active land. So, we tried to make whatever we could green, but it wasn’t just nature that we were thinking about. From the very beginning, this project was focused on people. We wanted to use the green space on the site to provide the best conditions for different users,” he explains. He also goes on to relate that the final form of the project took shape just after the pandemic. At that time, the designers working on the project were very uncertain about how the office market was going to emerge from this crisis; nonetheless, they had a feeling for what the expectations might be of people returning to work after the long break. “We wanted to create a landscape that people would feel good to be in. The entire forecourt rises and falls. You can see green folds and dunes. It is designed to make those returning to work feel more relaxed,” the architect explains. The new trees that now dot the forecourt have not been positioned randomly. Underneath the entire park there is a three-level underground car park, so the saplings that have been planted, which could grow very tall in the future, had to be located in specific places. For this reason, 50 huge pots with trees were positioned immediately above the underground construction pillars. The remaining knolls have been covered with a light polystyrene layer to create an undulating terrain that is divided into different areas, including meadows, flower beds, pathways, rest areas, an artificial stream and a roofed pavilion. The forecourt also includes an area for smokers, while a public composter is planned. Meanwhile, the former entrance road from ul. Taśmowa has been transformed into an 80m woonerf – a paved area for both pedestrians and road vehicles where pedestrians have the right of way. It also functions as a fire road.

The park now provides an open area for the use of both office workers and local residents as well as those taking a shortcut to the local railway station, while the cycle path alongside the park is connected to other local pathways. “We wanted to create a miniature town – with a public park with zones for cyclists and those on foot, together with places off to the side where you can have a sit-down either by yourself or with a group of friends,” reveals Maciej Zawadzki. The small pavilion in the park was built, according to circular economy principles, with the use of recycled building materials, including the posts of former advertising hoardings and rocks from the foundations of the entrance halls.

And there is one more important result of the recreation of the forecourt. Measurements taken in July 2021 and July 2023 (after the new trees had been planted) show that the temperature of the square has been reduced by around 15°C.

Making an artistic entrance

Diuna comprises four office buildings with a combined useable area of 46,000 sqm, each with their own lobby. The renovation of the entrance hallways was another important step in the process of modernising the centre. Each contains a cosy coworking area, where people can work or meet up. In addition to all this, a conference centre with four rooms has been opened in one of the buildings. The interior design of the lobbies was the work of Anna Łoskiewicz of the Łoskiewicz Studio. Her idea was to install a huge original structure in each lobby – a sculpture combining a mezzanine with a pillar. “These structures emphasise the smooth transition between each of the common areas and at the same time merge into the patio area,” she explains. The designer also decided to add artwork to the lobbies, the result of which is that visitors can now view the Diuna Art Collection. Each lobby features the carefully selected work of a different artist, including works by Nikodem Szpunar as well as collages by the late Jan Dziaczkowski from his ‘Góry dla Warszawy’ collection. Sofia Hannah Dunelburg’s ‘Bow’ installation can be found in lobby D. The finishing touch to these collections is the 2013 neon light installation Pink Mermaid by Maurycy Gomulicki. “Many people from abroad work in Diuna, so we wanted to include elements that would give the space a local flavour,” adds Maciej Zawadzki.

Systematic improvements

The third element of the modernisation work, which is the least obvious but by no means the least important, was the improvements carried out on the buildings’ systems. One of the most crucial tasks was the replacement of the cooling units with something more energy-efficient, which will make a huge difference and should reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 31 pct or by 1,575 tonnes annually (in 2023, such emissions had already been reduced by 827 tonnes). Systems for reducing water usage have also been installed in Diuna, such as flow reducers in the taps in the common areas, leak detection systems, and the installation of retention tanks for collecting rainwater that can later be used to water the vegetation in the park.

The centre has been BREEAM-In-Use certified under the new v.6 system at the ‘Excellent’ level and has obtained Well HSR and WiredScore certificates with a rating of ‘Silver’. The building is also currently undergoing Well along with Fundacja Integracja’s Buildings without Barriers certification, which should just be a formality because the designers have paid close attention to ensuring disabled access to the centre. Not a single step or kerb can now be found on the grounds of the entire complex.

From Mordor to The Shire

A few years ago, Służewiec earned the not-so-flattering nickname among locals of ‘Mordor’, but this label may soon become redundant given the huge changes that we have seen recently in the district. In front of our very own eyes, the developmental pattern of the district is changing. Between the office blocks, residential estates with services have been popping up, the transport infrastructure is being improved, and a metro station is to be opened in the foreseeable future.

What advantages does Służewiec have over Nowa Wola, which in recent years has replaced it as Warsaw’s main business district? Maciej Zawadzki believes that a new Mordor is now emerging in Wola. The area around the Rondo Daszyńskiego roundabout no longer has any vacant plots and it has become densely built-up with many tall buildings, while the streets are becoming choked with traffic. “Now Służewiec has the chance to become a stress-free and green working district. Syrena Real Estate was the first developer to realise that Mordor could be transformed into a peaceful Shire,” he argues, while adding that it is unusual to find investors who take such an approach. “Normally, when we develop a project, we are forced to discard some of our original ideas or make a few compromises, but that wasn’t the case with Diuna. With this project we were constantly able to add something new,” declares Maciej Zawadzki.

Diuna in numbers: