Skanska is creating a "gate" in symbolic terms in Lodz, which will stand ready to welcome new businesses and employees. The project, with architecture that will reflect the post-industrial character of the city, will be part of a new business quarter in Poland's third largest city. The investor has just finished the reinforced concrete works on the top office floor of a fifteen storey building, which is the first of two in the Brama Miasta (eng. city gate) project. The cornerstone for the entire project was laid when today.
- Brama Miasta has now reached its target number of stories and dominates the Nowe Centrum Łodzi (eng. New City Center of Lodz) skyline. We will soon be in a position to cover the first office building in a unique corten glass material. By mid-2019, we will be able to lease approximately 27,800 sqm of modern office space - says Krzysztof Wilczek, regional director at Skanska office company.
A city gate that's a gateway for business
The elevation of both buildings will be covered in corten. The use of the material, which after time takes on the appearance of rust, harks back and is indeed a tribute to the city's industrial past. Skanska will soon install a fragment of the corten façade so that people can see how this material changes its color and structure over time. The walls of both office buildings facing the shared courtyard will be glazed. As a result, the impression will be that Brama Miasta is one half-cut building that opens the entrance to the center of Lodz.
The Skanska project will create a new communal location in Nowe Centrum Łodzi. There will be an open square and city cafes surrounded by greenery for both employees and local residents. The space between and around the buildings will provide a space for cultural events and other initiatives, such as a summer cinema, which has proved successful with Skanska's previous project in Lodz - Nowa Fabryczna.
Brama Miasta will be the first office building in Lodz to have the innovative Connected by Skanska operating system. Via a mobile application or internet platform, Connected by Skanska manages a range of building functions. It will make it easy to move around the building using a smartphone without the need to use traditional access cards, prepare a virtual invitation to the building for a guest, or reserve a parking space for them. For instance, with parking, the system optimally manages the allocation of available parking spaces. Tenants will additionally have the ability via the app's Connected Fit-out feature to book meeting rooms, control temperature as well as lighting in specific rooms.
Mutual benefit for two cities
- Over the years, talks have been made about using the synergy of Warsaw and Lodz to mutually benefit both cities. Today, thanks to the development of infrastructure, including the connecting railway line, this idea is finally taking shape. Skanska has believed in Lodz for a long time as is illustrated by the company's construction of the Green Horizon and Nowa Fabryczna offices. Nowe Centrum Łodzi provides a great location in the center of Poland, which can offer both A-class office space and an extensive pool of prospective employees. The business centers of Warsaw and Lodz are a mere 90 minutes apart - emphasizes Krzysztof Wilczek.
Rapidly developing companies are looking for employees in cities outside of Warsaw without having to forfeit business operations in the capital. Skanska, which invests in Warsaw and six other markets including Lodz, creates modern office space for tenants looking for the possibility of relocating part of their business. Brama Miasta is being constructed next to one of the city's major railroad termini, which will facilitate fast connections between Lodz and other major cities in Poland.
Brama Miasta is Skanska's third investment in Lodz. After its completion, the total office space provided by Skanska in this city will be almost 96,000 sqm and will provide a place to work for up to 10,000 people.
Brama Miasta - key facts:
- Planned commissioning of the first building: II quarter of 2019
- Total leasable area of the complex: approx. 41 400 sqm GLA.
- Lease area of the first stage: approx. 27,800 sqm GLA.
- The whole complex will provide 231 parking spaces.
- The building of the first stage will have 15 storeys above ground storeys.
- Certification: LEED Gold, "Building without barriers".
- Additional benefits for tenants: Connected by Skanska.
- General contractor: Skanska S.A.
- Author of the architectural design: medusa group.