The new lifestyle centre of the capital, built on the five-hectare area of the 19th century Warsaw Vodka Factory, has so far won over 20 industry awards in various categories – and keeps on fighting for more. What does the business appreciate Koneser for?
The only such place, the only such awards
The city-forming character, innovative concept, unique architecture, perfect fit for business, and open structure – these are the features of Centrum Praskie Koneser, a joint investment of Liebrecht & wooD and BBI Development, that are appreciated by jury members and observers of Polish and international competitions. From the initial weeks, after it was opened, Koneser has been awarded the most prestigious titles and prizes. The jurors of Real Estate Impactor 2019 (the poll organised by the Rzeczpospolita daily) have not been indifferent to the advantages of the complex – it has been recognised as a project bringing new quality to the inhabitants of the city. In turn, the organisers of The HOF Awards in 2019 appreciated the potential of Koneser office space. The investment overtook numerous projects from Central and Eastern Europe and won first place in the Office Development category. Furthermore, the jury of CIJ Awards Poland awarded Koneser with a special Grand Prix. In December, in the competition for the Architectural Award of the Mayor of the City of Warsaw, the building received the title of The Best Revitalization 2018 and it was the winner in the category Accessibility Solutions, awarded for the first time in history.
Revitalisation as restoring a place to life
“The investment has fully deserved these awards. The Koneser complex is 19 buildings that are functionally connected, and nine of them are heritage landmarks. So the revitalisation of the post-industrial areas required both the renovation of these landmarks in a style typical for their historical period and function according to strict conservation requirements, as well as merging new spaces into the investment area so as not to lose the unique character of the place”, explains Magdalena Bartkiewicz-Podoba, CEO of Liebrecht & Wood in Poland.
The 88,000 sqm Centrum Praskie Koneser combines as many as 10 different functions. Fashion, restaurants, culture, art, offices, hotel and residential buildings – they all coexist here as integrated with exciting public spaces. And all this has been designed to bring different user groups closer and create a unique atmosphere.
“At Liebrecht & wooD we believe that true revitalisation is a process that takes place for a long after the construction work has been completed. The revitalisation of Koneser involved a lot of steps to bring this place back to life and give it a new meaning. Today it is attractive for residents, tourists, clients, and office workers. We were particularly interested in the companies and entrepreneurs looking for a new location. We believed – and we still believe – that the revitalisation of the city also accelerates the world of business”, adds Magdalena Bartkiewicz-Podoba.
“We are not afraid to say that the Koneser project has changed the way of thinking about multifunctional properties in Poland. Koneser paved the way as well as initiated the trend of revitalisation and creation of such places on a large scale in Poland and the CEE region.”
These words have been confirmed by more awards and nominations: the title of the Best Mixed-use Project given at CEE Retail Awards 2019, Renovation of the Year according to the jurors of Emerging Europe Awards 2019, Revitalisation of the Year in this year’s jubilee 10th edition of PRCH Retail Awards, and recent honourable mentions as the Best Commercial Refurbishment and Game Changer of the Year in the CIJ Awards Poland 2019 competition. The January nomination to Wdechy 2020 in the Place of the Year category is immensely important for the investor, too. For the first time in the history of the competition, the journalists of Co Jest Grane24 and Gazeta Wyborcza nominated a commercial property. The consequence is that in this poll that aims to honour artists and culture organisers who make Warsaw more colourful and unique, Koneser joined such significant institutions as POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Museum of Modern Art, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art and the Muranów cinema.
