The third stage of the High5ive office complex in Krakow, built by Skanska office unit, has a new tenant. zooplus Polska, a member of zooplus Group, a leading European seller of pet products, including pet food and accessories, will arrange its head office on nearly 2,000 sqm. The company plans to move to its new location in April 2022. Green and innovative solutions will wait for the new tenants in the first Skanska project in Krakow awarded with the WELL Core&Shell certificate. Experts from Walter Herz advised zooplus on the leasing process.
zooplus is currently the largest online pet shop in Europe, which was established in 1999 in Germany. The company operates on 30 European markets. Its net sales in 2020 amounted to nearly EUR 1.8 bn. zooplus is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is part of the SDAX stock index which includes 70 small and medium-sized companies in Germany. It is also successful in Poland – here, its online store is one of the largest specialist e-shops with estimated net sales in 2020 of over PLN 700 m. The zooplus office in Krakow currently employs over 130 people, and more than half of them are IT specialists. The support centre for zooplus development on the CEE markets is also located here, as well as specialists from various business departments working for the development of the entire zooplus Group. The company is growing very rapidly, so it needs more space for new employees.
High5ive is a complex of five buildings which will ultimately provide 70,000 sqm of modern office space. Thanks to its central location, it is one of the best connected office projects in Krakow. It can be reached by bus, streetcar, car or bicycle. The Main Railway Station, Galeria Krakowska and universities are also located nearby. Drivers can use a car park with electric vehicle chargers. Thanks to the more than 40 charging sockets cars can be efficiently charged while being at work. The last building is planned to be put into use in the first quarter of 2022.
– Since the beginning of the construction of the first stage, the High5ive complex has enjoyed great interest, and has been chosen by many international companies. Today, zooplus joins this group. Due to the situation we faced last year, the process of technical arrangements and negotiation of the lease agreement was entirely on-line. Thanks to the commitment and professionalism of all parties, it all went very smoothly – says Marek Stasieńko, Leasing Director at Skanska office unit. – We believe that the building, with all its amenities, will be a perfect place for the company and its employees to further develop their business – adds Marek Stasieńko.
– Work comfort and employee satisfaction have always been our priority. We spare no effort to ensure that zooplus is a place where one can feel good and work efficiently. Apart from the exceptional internal atmosphere, high quality space and well-connected location convenient for everyone is important for us – says Barbara Sadowska, CEE Director at zooplus. – Our new head office in the prestigious High5ive complex perfectly meets these requirements. We are sure it will be appreciated by both our teams and our guests – adds Barbara Sadowska.
Walter Herz, a consulting company that has been operating in the commercial real estate sector for over 8 years, providing strategic advice to tenants, investors and property owners, was a consultant in the process.
– The key element for zooplus was a central location and the possibility to design the space in such a way that it could be flexibly used and adapted to the changing needs of the organization – says Emilia Kalińska, Senior Leading Negotiator at Walter Herz. – Our priority in the lease process was to secure the interests of the client. We wanted to recommend the safest and the most functional solution, and consequently we chose the Skanska project – adds Mateusz Strzelecki, Partner/Head of Regional Markets at Walter Herz.
Not only an office building
The last building, to be constructed in the third stage of the project, where the headquarters of zooplus will be located, will have the area of over 11,000 sqm and will be the first Skanska office building in Krakow with a WELL certificate awarded to healthy and comfortable workplaces. It is a certification system which verifies over 100 building features, thus measuring the quality of office space. WELL certification takes into account a building’s impact on the physical and mental health and well-being of employees and visitors.
High5ive, like all Skanska projects, has been designed to be used by both tenants and the local community. The High5ive complex is equipped with advanced air purifiers, which is particularly important in the context of the smog problem in Polish urban areas. A smog-eating sidewalk was constructed near the second stage High5ive building and it will also be built near the last building of the complex. It reduces, by an average of 30%, the amount of car exhaust fume compounds that are harmful to humans, including nitrogen oxides found in urban air.
High5ive – key facts and figures
- The project consists of five buildings with the total gross leasable area of approx. 70,000 sqm.
- The gross leasable area of the last building will be 11,150 sqm. It will be WELL-certified as the first Skanska office building in Krakow.
- The third stage building will also apply for LEED Platinum certification and Building without barriers certificate.
- The general contractor of the building is Skanska S.A.
- The architectural design was created by NS Moon Studio.