News

Cornerstone for Senator office building

Warsaw, 10 May 2011 - Real estate developer Ghelamco Group has hosted the ceremony of setting the cornerstone and signing the foundation act for its Senator office building at the project’s construction site in Warsaw’s CBD on May 10th. It was among others attended by Belgian Economy Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz – Waltz and Belgian Ambassador to Poland Raoul Delcorde and by Ghelamco Group President Paul Gheysens.

 

Ghelamco’s Senator office building is currently being constructed  in Bielanska Street, a historic part of Warsaw. The Senator building is one of the most inspiring and eminent office projects in Poland. Its location is associated with Poland’s most important and prestigious financial institutions of the past 300 years. In the 18th Century, the investment’s site housed the State Mint. Later, in the final years of Poland’s partitioning, it was a seat of the Russian State Bank, and since 1924 of the Polish Bank. Underlining Senator’s importance to the Ghelamco portfolio, Paul Gheysens, Ghelamco Group President, said it is one of the most interesting and important projects in the company’s history. “We realize that Warsaw has been looking forward to Senator’s construction for many years. I am convinced that the combination of Senator’s exceptional character and the fact that its construction will help to revitalise a neglected part of the city will make of it not only a business community highlight but also a social beacon for Warsaw”, added Mr Gheysens. He pointed out that Senator’s construction was going very well and that he could not wait for the first levels to be completed. Belgian Economy Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne referred to 20th anniversary of Ghelamco’s presence in Poland by reminding of the company’s pioneering role in the growth of the Polish commercial real estate market in the early 90ies. In her speech, Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz – Waltz noted that Senator, as the beautifully reconstructed former Polish Bank building, would become a prominent landmark in the capital and would encourage walkers to visit this part of the city.

The formal foundation act was read and signed by Mrs Gronkiewicz - Waltz, Mr Gheysens, Mr van der Toolen, Mr Van Quickenborne, Mr Delcorde, John Eyers, co-owner of the Belgian architectural studio JaspersEyers & Partners and Reverend Wieslaw Nieweglowski, Chaplain of Warsaw’s Creative Communities and provost of St. Andrew’s church, at Plac Teatralny near Senator. Reverend Nieweglowski also blessed the project’s cornerstone. A special crane put the tube containing the foundation act and current newspaper copies next to the cornerstone at level –3.

 

Out of respect for the site’s long and prominent heritage, Ghelamco commissioned detailed on-site investigations prior to the design phase, enabling the developer to preserve its original appeal and character. The Senator building was designed by the leading Belgian architectural studio Jaspers & Eyers Partners in cooperation with Polish architects from AB-Project and Architraw GB, specialists in restorations and reconstructions. Moreover, Warsaw’s municipal monument conservation office was consulted and it approved the design plans.

The project’s unique architecture clearly refers to the original Polish Bank building. The project envelope was designed on the plan of the former edifice. Its facade will strikingly resemble the original one from 1907. It will retain its monumental features, such as horizontal divider lines separating individual floors. The front of the two lowermost floors will be glazed and the structure and the colour of the stone covering the facade will evoke the building’s historical appearance.

Without any doubt, Senator’s focus point will be the Atrium: its renovated main wall will recreate the genuine appearance of the Polish Bank’s teller room’s front wall. The antique wall’s replica will provide a suitable relocation point for the original Banki Polski plaque unveiled on 24 April 1924. A portion of the Atrium floor will be glazed in order to offer a view onto the historical foundations of the King Stanislaus Augustus Doniatowski’s Mint from the 18th Century.

Upon its completion, the Senator building will provide approximately 25,000 sq m of modern and high quality class A office space. Its interior design will include all modern solutions such as elevated floors and suspended ceilings required to guarantee effective and functional business space use irrespective of the chosen arrangement. In addition, the entire building will be equipped with structural cabling, a BMS system as well as central heating and air-conditioning systems with humidity control.

Meanwhile, one of the world’s 25 leading financial services groups has become the first tenant at Senator by signing a lease agreement for the project’s second floor.

 

For more information, please visit the project’s description page