Europe Double win for Fuzja

The multifunctional Fuzja complex, being developed in the centre of Łódź by Archicom and Echo Investment, has been recognised for its restoration of a historic area of the city for the local community in a spirit of sustainable development. The architectural studio Medusa Group is responsible for the design of the space.

Fuzja is being developed as part of the revitalisation of the industrial site of the former Scheibler factory. The project aims to transform the post-industrial heart of Łódź into a ‘15-minute city’. The investment covers an area of 8 hectares, including 90,000 sqm of residential, commercial and cultural space. The investment includes 22 buildings, 15 of which are historical.

Currently, the southern part of the complex is open, where a pearl of Art Nouveau architecture is located – the historic Scheibler Power Plant and a recreational area – Anna's Gardens, named after the wife of the Łódź factory owner. In the northern part of Fuzja, more historical buildings are being revitalised, including two for residential purposes. Fuzja combines office, commercial, cultural, gastronomic and residential functions. The project will include the construction of lofts, a town square and open green areas with alleys and squares. The restored historical buildings have been given a new lease of life, and restaurants, cafés and retail outlets are gradually appearing inside them. New buildings have also been constructed on the Fuzja site to complement the existing historical buildings: two office buildings with a façade corresponding to the post-industrial complex and four new residential buildings. CitySpace, a concept by one of the largest serviced office operators, is also active in Fuzja.

The post-industrial site of Karol Scheibler's former textile factory in Łódź was inaccessible to people for many years and deteriorated rapidly. Thanks to our revitalisation efforts, it is regaining its former glory and bustling with life once again. We have set ourselves the goal of giving the city and its residents a diverse and unique place that will offer a new quality of life and leisure activities. And even now, during the project implementation phase, I can say that we have succeeded. Fuzja is a city-forming, multifunctional project, open to the city, friendly to residents, employees, the local community and tourists. We are proud and extremely happy that Fuzja has been recognised internationally with such a prestigious award as the MIPIM Award. It is a wonderful culmination of the work and commitment of many teams who, every day, oversee a huge and demanding investment being carried out in a historic area.
Nicklas Lindberg, CEO of Echo Investment

When designing Fuzja, a ‘destination’ project, we drew on contemporary urban planning trends such as ecology, the sharing economy and sustainable urban mobility. Thus, the most important points for Fuzja's residents and users are fully accessible by decarbonised means of transport - on foot, by bike or by public transport. Fuzja shows how to create good places to live in line with the 15-minute city concept and sets the direction for the further development of urbanised areas.
Waldemar Olbryk, CEO of Archicom

The key element of the investment is the harmonious combination of architecture and greenery – as much as 35 pct of the common space will eventually be covered by carefully designed green areas. The complex is car-free, with priority given to pedestrians and cyclists. The historical buildings are being revitalised using the conservative preservation method to retain as many original elements as possible. The new buildings, on the other hand, are being constructed using ecological, high-quality materials and making maximum use of the existing structures. The newly constructed buildings have been awarded a BREEAM certificate with an Excellent rating.

The Echo - Archicom Group was the only developer from Poland nominated this year in the MIPIM Awards competition. It received the nomination for two projects: Fuzja and Towarowa 22.