Towarowa 22 already under construction

A modern, friendly and comfortable city to live in, with exceptional green public space—such will soon be the block in Warsaw between Towarowa, Pańska and Miedziana streets. Offices, apartments for sale and rent, as well as food and service establishments will be built here. The publicly accessible Polish Word Park, designed according to an innovative idea, with trees overgrowing the former production halls, will become a memento of Wola’s industrial legacy. The latest project by Echo Investment and AFI Europe in the capital was designed by JEMS studio.

The centre of Warsaw is shifting towards Wola, which has turned from an industrial district into a business hub. At its heart is Towarowa 22, a 6.5-hectare development area that formerly housed a printing plant and an old shopping centre. Soon, it will become a modern, open and multifunctional city block. The Polish Word Park, incorporating parts of the old printing plant, will become its centrepiece. The park is intended to be a kind of gateway that invites visitors to enter the project from ul. Miedziana. Lush greenery will surround the publicly accessible historic pavilion of the Polish Word House, and will even “enter” the interior of the former production halls.

A city of the future that respects the past

Towarowa 22 is the latest “destination,” as Echo Investment calls its large-scale multifunctional projects being developed in the centres of Poland’s largest cities. The list of such places includes the popular Browary Warszawskie (Warsaw Brewery) and Fuzja in Łódź. AFI Europe is the partner in the development of the commercial part of Towarowa 22.

A place that attracts people

The project on ul. Towarowa will divide the plot of land formerly occupied by the printing plant into eight new blocks, with streets, pedestrian and bicycle routes running between them. The concept calls for the restoration of ul. Wronia and the passage between ul. Chłodna and ul. Pańska, while the ground floors will provide such functions as stores, cafes, restaurants and services. The two central blocks of the site with the restored pavilion of the Polish Word House will become a public space, a publicly accessible Polish Word Park, part of which will incorporate the structure of the former halls. Around the park, buildings will be constructed with apartments, offices, rental housing and services needed on a daily basis. The total usable area of the buildings will be more than 200,000 square meters. The highest point of the development will be a 150-metre office building at the intersection of ul. Towarowa and ul. Pańska. The remaining buildings will gently descend to the southeast—to ul. Miedziana, creating a gentle transition between the metropolitan Daszyńskiego roundabout and the historic buildings of Wola.

“Towarowa 22 will be our flagship “destination” project, a city-building development that fits the needs of Warsaw and drags the heart of this city to Wola. When designing Towarowa, we paid special attention to greenery, which will be the key element around which the residential and office buildings are centred. We believe in the idea of sustainable urban development, and that’s why more than a half of our projects under construction and in the pipeline are complex, mixed-use “destination” developments. After the huge success of Browary Warszawskie, I am convinced of the gigantic potential of Towarowa 22,” said Nicklas Lindberg, CEO of Echo Investment.

The project to transform the area into a mixed-use block remains in line with urban planning trends and the investors’ vision of creating sustainable cities.

“We are pleased to be part of a landmark project for Warsaw. We make sure that our investments improve the city, support its development, and emphasize beauty, functionality and heritage. The project at ul. Towarowa 22 will have all these qualities. We expect to be able to start construction in just a few months. At AFI Europe, we invest in projects with a multi-year investment horizon in mind—often 10–20 years and beyond—hence our interest in projects that stand out in the market not only because of their large scale, but also because of their green solutions and the potential to maintain value for the investor and local communities. In this respect, Towarowa has exceeded all our expectations. It will be a sustainable project, functional and in line with the high green standards of the European Union,” stated Michał Stępień, Deputy CEO of AFI Europe Poland.

Construction of Towarowa 22 has already begun—the first building under construction is located on ul. Pańska and will offer more than 31,000 square metres of office space.

MACIEJ RYDZ, Architect, JEMS Architekci

We want Towarowa 22 to be a model example of a modern city that is built with the current needs of its residents in mind, respect for its past, and concern for the future. It’s a project that’s well adapted to its surrounding, climatically responsible, open and friendly to the symbiosis between man and nature.

NICKLAS LINDBERG, CEO of Echo Investment

This is our flagship, city-building “destination” project, which fits the needs of Warsaw and its residents. When designing it, we paid special attention to greenery, which will be a key element here.