''The Arrival of Liberty...'', Poland Monthly No. 22
Pomp and circumstance rarely get a better medium in real estate than Sven von der Heyden. Liberty Corner, a new central office building and the new home of the Polish Press Agency, was no exception.
In November, Warsaw received a stylish addition to its center, as Liberty Corner-an office building with an architectural attitude-held its official opening celebrations.
Already the pre-party presentation left no one in doubt-the building stands on the site of the former communist censorship office. What remains of the gray and formless structure are renovated pieces of walls with the official name of the agency carved in sandstone.
The building, hated during the communist period by all independent artists and journalists, was torn down in the 1990s, not only to make room for a more modern construction, but also in an attempt to help residents forget about the despised authority as soon as possible.
On the wave of reforms, the municipal council initially wanted to rename the Mysia (Mouse) street, since the relationship between the censorship office and the street name became too intimate in the Polish language.
''Mysia stopped it,'' or ''Mysia’s permission'' were common phrases among those who ever came into contact with censorship, and after the collapse of communism some would ask the question ''Does anybody miss ul. Mysia?''
The host of the Liberty Corner opening, journalist and comedian Piotr Bałtroczyk, said that the young generation will soon no longer understand what the full name of the governmental body-Central Office for the Control of the Press, Publications and Performances-actually meant. This is especially true now that the address of the former authority no longer stands for censorship.
With the planned arrival of the anchor tenant, Polish Press Agency (PAP), the building now epitomizes the freedom of the press.
''I have had the honor of learning about Poland’s history,'' said the developer of the building, Sven von der Heyden, during the opening ceremony. ''I am therefore particularly proud to be here as we all become part of a united Europe.''
The anchor tenant, for whom the move is one of the final steps toward total business independence, will occupy about 2,570 square meters. The office element available for lease to other businesses comprises 5,700 square meters. In order to erect the construction, the Von Der Heyden Group and PAP created a joint venture, to which Poland’s largest press agency contributed 1,467 square meters of land, while the Von der Heyden Group provided financing and management for the project. The A-class office buildings share underground parking space for 75 cars.
Apart from the prime location, Sven von der Heyden, president of the Von Der Heyden Group, said he was proud of the advanced building management systems. One of the assets is the ability to freely arrange office space, thanks to special floor design that eliminated the need for pillars. Independent air conditioning systems have been provided for each floor. The formerly gray walls are now covered with sandstone, and the old narrow corridors are now gone, giving way to open-plan offices.
The building has four Otis elevators for 13 people each, finished with mahogany. PRC Architekci designed the building, with Andrzej Jurkiewicz serving as the chief architect for the project. The general contractor was Hochtief Polska.
Marcin Sobczyk
In November, Warsaw received a stylish addition to its center, as Liberty Corner-an office building with an architectural attitude-held its official opening celebrations.
Already the pre-party presentation left no one in doubt-the building stands on the site of the former communist censorship office. What remains of the gray and formless structure are renovated pieces of walls with the official name of the agency carved in sandstone.
The building, hated during the communist period by all independent artists and journalists, was torn down in the 1990s, not only to make room for a more modern construction, but also in an attempt to help residents forget about the despised authority as soon as possible.
On the wave of reforms, the municipal council initially wanted to rename the Mysia (Mouse) street, since the relationship between the censorship office and the street name became too intimate in the Polish language.
''Mysia stopped it,'' or ''Mysia’s permission'' were common phrases among those who ever came into contact with censorship, and after the collapse of communism some would ask the question ''Does anybody miss ul. Mysia?''
The host of the Liberty Corner opening, journalist and comedian Piotr Bałtroczyk, said that the young generation will soon no longer understand what the full name of the governmental body-Central Office for the Control of the Press, Publications and Performances-actually meant. This is especially true now that the address of the former authority no longer stands for censorship.
With the planned arrival of the anchor tenant, Polish Press Agency (PAP), the building now epitomizes the freedom of the press.
''I have had the honor of learning about Poland’s history,'' said the developer of the building, Sven von der Heyden, during the opening ceremony. ''I am therefore particularly proud to be here as we all become part of a united Europe.''
The anchor tenant, for whom the move is one of the final steps toward total business independence, will occupy about 2,570 square meters. The office element available for lease to other businesses comprises 5,700 square meters. In order to erect the construction, the Von Der Heyden Group and PAP created a joint venture, to which Poland’s largest press agency contributed 1,467 square meters of land, while the Von der Heyden Group provided financing and management for the project. The A-class office buildings share underground parking space for 75 cars.
Apart from the prime location, Sven von der Heyden, president of the Von Der Heyden Group, said he was proud of the advanced building management systems. One of the assets is the ability to freely arrange office space, thanks to special floor design that eliminated the need for pillars. Independent air conditioning systems have been provided for each floor. The formerly gray walls are now covered with sandstone, and the old narrow corridors are now gone, giving way to open-plan offices.
The building has four Otis elevators for 13 people each, finished with mahogany. PRC Architekci designed the building, with Andrzej Jurkiewicz serving as the chief architect for the project. The general contractor was Hochtief Polska.
Marcin Sobczyk
