Foster + Partners has opened its new Warsaw office on the 44th floor of Varso Tower – the European Union’s tallest building (310 metres) – which was designed by the practice and completed in 2022. Currently home to 30 employees, this is Foster + Partners’ largest European studio outside of the United Kingdom. The new office space provides unparalleled views of the city skyline and the historic Palace of Culture and Science below.
Grant Brooker, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “Having worked in Central Europe for over thirty-five years, and in Warsaw for over twenty-five years, setting up an office here is a natural next step for the practice. The decision to create a permanent home in the Varso Tower and relocate two of our partners, Krzysztof Gornicki and Jedrzej Kolesinski, demonstrates our belief in the strength and importance of Poland within Europe. It also shows our commitment to Warsaw as a world-class regional base to operate from.”
The Warsaw studio is supporting the development of the practice’s CPK airport project, which is located between Warsaw and Łódź. This mirrors the practice’s decision to set up an office in Hong Kong, while working on the city’s new airport in the early 1990s. This was a period of incredible optimism in Hong Kong and the airport was seen as a step change that would put the city ahead of its competitors. In the same way, the new CPK airport will be a pivotal project for Poland, completely transforming travel across the country and beyond.
Situated at the corner of Jana Pawla II and Chmielna Street, Varso Tower features bright and spacious open-plan offices, with large-span floorplates and three-metre clear heights. The building also offers a range of social spaces for employees, including a green public plaza at ground level and a spectacular viewing platform at level fifty-three. This is the highest inhabited floor in Poland with uninterrupted views of the city.
Krzysztof Gornicki, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, added: “Warsaw is a thriving city with a bright future, which we are excited to be a part of. We are delighted to be working in Varso Tower – directly showcasing our design ethos to visiting clients and public officials.”
