Varso
{{short description|Office complex in Warsaw, Poland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Varso
| former_names = Chmielna Business Center
| status = {{green|Completed}}
| image = Varso Tower Warsaw 22(cropped).jpg
| caption = Varso Tower in May 2022
| highest_prev = Commerzbank Tower
| highest_start = 2021
| highest_region = European Union
| location = Warsaw, Poland
| coordinates = {{WikidataCoord|display=title,inline}}
| start_date = December 2016
| topped_out_date = February 2021
| completion_date = September 2022
| architect = Foster + Partners
HRA Architekci
| floor_count = 53
| floor_area = {{convert|140000|m2|sqft|-2|abbr=on}}
| elevator_count = 47
| building_type = Office
| architectural_style = Neomodern
| architectural = {{convert|310|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanity.pl/mazowieckie/warszawa/chmielna-business-center,b8720|title=Varso Tower / Chmielna Business Center|language=pl|publisher=urbanity.pl|access-date=15 January 2017}}
| roof = {{convert|236|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| observatory = {{convert|230|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| developer = HB Reavis
| structural_engineer = Buro Happold{{cite web|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/varso-tower/22631|title=Varso Tower|work=The Skyscraper Center|publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|access-date=20 January 2023}}
| cost = €500 million
| address = ul. Chmielna 69/71
| website = {{URL|https://varso.com/}}
}}
Varso or Varso Place is a neomodern office complex in Warsaw, Poland. It was designed by Foster + Partners and developed by HB Reavis. The complex features three buildings; the main one, Varso Tower, is the tallest building in Poland, the tallest building in the European Union, and the sixth-tallest building in Europe at {{convert|310|m}} in height.{{cite web|last=Parkes|first=James|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2022/10/26/foster-partners-varso-tower-european-union-tallest-building-poland-architecture/|title=Foster + Partners completes EU's tallest building in Warsaw|website=Dezeen|date=26 October 2022|access-date=19 January 2023|archive-date=19 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119234748/https://www.dezeen.com/2022/10/26/foster-partners-varso-tower-european-union-tallest-building-poland-architecture/|url-status=live}} It was topped out in February 2021 and completed in September 2022, with the opening of the observation deck planned for summer 2025.{{cite web |title=Magnicity to operate the top of Varso Tower in Warsaw, the tallest skyscraper in the European Union |url=https://varso.com/en/amenities/stories-news/news-list/magnicity-to-operate-the-top-of-varso-tower-in-warsaw-the-tallest-skyscraper-in-the-european-union |website=Varso |publisher=HB Reavis Poland |language=en |access-date=24 July 2024}}
Design
File:Varso - widok na zielony taras widokowy.jpg
Varso Place is located in Wola, on the corner of Chmielna Street and John Paul II Avenue (pl). Construction took place on a plot of {{cvt|1.72|ha}}, purchased in 2011 from PKP by the Slovak company HB Reavis for approximately 171 million złoty.{{Cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118144520/http://tvnwarszawa.tvn24.pl/informacje,news,pkp-sprzedalo-grunty-przy-dworcu-centralnym,32786.html |language=pl |title=PKP sprzedały grunty przy Dworcu Centralnym |website=tvn24.pl |date=16 November 2011 |access-date=7 April 2024}}
The estimated cost of construction was approximately {{Euro|500 million|link=yes}} ({{PLN|2.27 billion}} in 2021). Initially, the project was named Chmielna Business Center, being later changed to Varso, which references the Latin name for Warsaw—Varsovia.
The original plan was to build a {{convert|130|m|adj=on}} tall skyscraper. The project was later revised and the total height of Varso Tower was increased to {{cvt|310|m}} including a spire surmounting the building.{{cite web |title=2017 Vinci annual report |url=https://www.vinci.com/publi/vinci/2017-vinci-annual-report.pdf |website=vinci.com|publisher=Vinci SA |date= 2017 |access-date=14 September 2020}}
Varso Place is a complex of three buildings: a {{cvt|310|m}} main tower (roof height reaching {{cvt|230|m}} with an {{convert|80|m|adj=on}} spire on top) and two buildings with a height of {{cvt|81 and 90|m}}, respectively called Varso 1 and Varso 2. The total area of Varso Place is {{cvt|140,000|m2}}, with {{cvt|10,300|m2}} dedicated to commercial services. British-based architecture studio Foster + Partners designed the main tower and HRA Architekci was responsible for designing the Varso 1 and Varso 2 buildings.{{cite web|last=Gibson|first=Eleanor|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2017/01/11/varso-tower-foster-partners-warsaw-tallest-building-poland/|title=Construction begins on Poland's tallest tower by Foster + Partners|website=Dezeen|date=11 January 2017|access-date=20 January 2023}}
File:22 maja 2020 - Ulica Chmielna.jpg
At a height of {{cvt|230|m}} on the main tower, Vista Terrace will become a public observation deck offering panoramic views of the city. A restaurant and a bar called Skytop Restaurant & Bar will occupy the 46th and 48th floors. All three buildings will be connected to each other on the ground floor level and the entire complex will be connected to the Warsaw Central Station.
A four-storey underground car park will accommodate approximately 1,100 cars, 80 motorbikes and 750 bicycles. The modernisation of the surroundings around Chmielna Street is a part of the investment and it will include new pavements, street lamps, benches, bike stands and signage, as well as planting shrubs and trees.{{cite web|last=Dowell|first=Stuart|url=https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/its-here-tallest-building-in-eu-officially-opens-its-doors-to-become-new-symbol-of-warsaw-33061|title=Tallest building in EU officially opens to become 'new symbol of Warsaw'|website=The First News|date=September 14, 2022|access-date=October 5, 2022|archive-date=5 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005180143/https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/its-here-tallest-building-in-eu-officially-opens-its-doors-to-become-new-symbol-of-warsaw-33061|url-status=live}}
Construction
File:2018 Warszawa głaz Varso, 9.jpg seen on the Mokotów Field]]
The general contractor is HB Reavis Construction, a company from the HB Reavis Group. The building permit for Varso was obtained in December 2016, with construction work commencing the same month.{{cite web|last=Smisek|first=Peter|title=EU's Tallest Tower under Construction in Poland|url=https://www.theb1m.com/video/eu-tallest-tower-under-construction-poland|date=24 April 2019|access-date=2020-11-07|website=The B1M}}
In early 2017, the construction team had to move a transformer that was powering the Warsaw Central Station, as it was located exactly where the Varso Tower would be built.{{cite web|last=Hayes|first=Mike|url=https://www.khl.com/1142773.article|title=Varso Tower: The challenges of high-rise|website=khl.com|date=18 March 2020|access-date=31 October 2020}} In October 2017, at a depth of {{cvt|10|m}}, a 60 tonne glacial erratic was excavated at the construction site. It was pulled out using a specialized crane and then transported to Mokotów Field, where it stood next to the National Library. In the future, it will be moved back and displayed next to the entrance of Varso Tower.{{cite web|url=https://eurobuildcee.com/en/news/22938-hb-reavis-lifts-rock|title=HB Reavis lifts rock|website=EurobuildCEE|date=15 November 2017|access-date=20 January 2023}}
On 20 February 2021, the final piece of the spire was lifted to the top of Varso Tower, bringing the skyscraper to its full height of 310 metres (1,017 ft).{{Cite news|last=Bretan|first=Juliette|date=22 February 2021|title=Warsaw skyscraper becomes EU's tallest building|work=Notes from Poland|url=https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/02/22/warsaw-skyscraper-becomes-eus-tallest-building/|access-date=22 February 2021}}{{cite web|last=North|first=Nathan|url=https://eurobuildcee.com/en/news/30879-varso-tower-now-the-eus-tallest|title=Varso Tower now the EU's tallest|website=EurobuildCEE|date=February 22, 2021|access-date=July 30, 2022|archive-date=July 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730174951/https://eurobuildcee.com/en/news/30879-varso-tower-now-the-eus-tallest|url-status=live}} The tower was completed in September 2022.{{cite web|url=https://eurobuildcee.com/en/news/32795-varso-tower-completed|title=Varso Tower completed|website=EurobuildCEE|date=September 13, 2022|access-date=October 4, 2022|quote=HB Reavis has completed the construction of the tallest skyscraper in the EU – Varso Tower.|archive-date=October 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004223145/https://eurobuildcee.com/en/news/32795-varso-tower-completed|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Ruszył montaż iglicy na Varso Tower|work=NowaWarszawa.pl|language=pl|date=21 October 2020|url=https://nowawarszawa.pl/ruszyl-montaz-iglicy-na-varso-tower/|access-date=2020-11-01}}
Varso Tower became the tallest building in the European Union by surpassing the Commerzbank Tower, in Frankfurt, Germany, which previously held the record at {{cvt|259|m}}.{{cite web|last=McLaughlin|first=Katherine|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/varso-tower-tallest-building-in-the-european-union|title=The Tallest Building in the EU Was Just Completed in an Unexpected City|website=Architectural Digest|date=26 October 2022|access-date=20 January 2023}}
Gallery
File:30-05-2019 plac budowy Varso, 1.jpg|May 2019
File:16-12-2019 plac budowy Varso, 5.jpg|December 2019
File:01-05-2020 plac budowy Varso.jpg|May 2020
File:Warsaw under construction, 30.07.2020.jpg|July 2020
File:17-06-2021 plac budowy Varso z PKiN.jpg|June 2021
File:Varso 05.2022.jpg|Varso Place in May 2022
File:Varso, July 2024.jpg|July 2024, as seen from Rondo 1
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Varso}}
- {{Official website|https://hbreavis.com/en/project/varso-place/}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyeMjQxpLFU Installation of the spire of the Varso Tower]
{{Skyscrapers in Warsaw}}
{{Buildings in the European Union timeline}}
{{Warsaw|state=collapsed}}
{{authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Poland|Architecture}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 2022
Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Warsaw
Category:Office buildings completed in 2022
Category:Foster and Partners buildings
Category:Neomodern architecture