Premium apartments - this phrase may be associated with shiny facades, new-smelling interiors and innovative solutions. Erecting more volumes, although it seems necessary, will not take us away from the impending climate catastrophe, the effects of which will be felt regardless of the wealth of our wallets. In view of this, more and more projects are being built on the basis of already existing structures or using second-hand materials. But can such an approach have its place among projects that pay for luxury, top-quality workmanship and technological innovations? In the case of Flare Grzybowska, designed by BJK Architekci, the "novelty" is the use of something inherited from a difficult investment history. What will a recycled apartment building be like?
Grzybowska 6A has been an unlucky address so far. The initiative to develop the 650-square-meter plot came from the Downtown Housing Cooperative, which manages the famous Za Żelazną Bramą estate. In 2010 construction began on a 13-story apartment building designed by Grzegorz Stanislawski. Construction didn't progress fast enough, the contractors changed, and not all Warsaw residents were satisfied with how the building was to look in the end, either. The end of the project, however, was not lived to see, because in 2014, after only 4 floors had been built, the Downtown Housing Cooperative declared bankruptcy.
The construction was taken over by the N1 company, which managed to bring the building to its planned height. In 2016, work on the Metropolitan Apartments, as it was then called, stopped. For the next eight years it stood empty, occupying an extremely attractive plot of land in the center of Warsaw. Finally, its time has come - it looks like in a while, after many years, tenants will live at the Grzybowska 6A address.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
proj.: BJK Architekci © Archicom press materials
recycled apartment building
Despite ambitious plans to satisfy the most demanding clients, Archicom - the current owner - does not intend to erect a new volume. Gdynia-based studio BJK Arcitekci will give new life to the project from the beginning of the millennium, using its preserved structure. The facade will be completely different. Facade and finishing materials from the - nomen omen - unfinished landmark will not be used in Flare. This does not mean that their architectural career is over. After demolition, they will be recycled and then reused.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
proj.: BJK Architekci © Archicom press materials
the king's new clothes
Of the entire Grzybowska project, aside from the four-meter gap separating it from the blind wall of the nearest building, it was the elevations that raised the most doubts. Already after the first "styling" of the skyscraper, designed by Grzegorz Stanislawski on behalf of the Downtown Housing Cooperative, was revealed, voices of dissatisfaction arose. "The ugliest building on Grzybowska" even stated a few years later in the capital's Wyborcza newspaper. The planned building was to have a colorful, rippling façade, full of interpenetrating arches, loggias and beams protruding beyond the outline of the exterior walls. The 1990s in full swing - only materializing in the second decade of the 21st century.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
proj.: BJK Architekci © Archicom press materials
As we already know, the end of construction in the first installment did not happen, it was continued by another company, which already had a completely different vision for the skyscraper. When the 12th floor was completed in 2016, Metropolitan Apartments was a subdued skyscraper with an uninteresting, rather conservative facade with relatively large glazing divided by gray and black cladding.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
proj.: BJK Architekci © Archicom press materials
Its inhabitation also did not take place, so the new developer, Archicom, has prepared for a third approach. Perhaps taking into account the past failures of "modern" styles at Grzybowska and the potential of the extremely valuable plot in the center of the capital, a more classic yet prestigious solution was decided upon.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw - Hall
interior design: KUOO TAMIZO © Archicom press materials
material for years to come
BJK Architekci studio, led by Tomasz Janiszewski, strives to use high-quality finishing materials in its projects, matching the urban context and the requirements of future users. Already in the design of their first apartment building - at Kaszubski Square in Gdynia - they used timeless sandstone in finishing the facade.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
interior design: KUOO TAMIZO © Archicom press materials
Similar steps have been decided for the new building on Grzybowska Street. At Flare, it will be late to look for sheet metal, plastic or composites - this time the facades will be finished with terrazzo of a warm hue, which will give a sculptural touch to the rounded loggias in one corner of the building.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
interior design: KUOO TAMIZO © Archicom press materials
the art of living
Although the construction of Flare Grzybowska did not leave a wide berth in the realm of spatial form, its unfinished interiors have become places created by the well-known studio KUOO TAMIZO Architects.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
interior design: KUOO TAMIZO © Archicom press materials
An interesting solution has been decided for the apartments, whose square meters can reach even more than 130 sqm. These will not be offered in the raw state, but already finished. KUOO TAMIZO Architects has prepared three finishing options - Chrome, Brass and Gold, clearly inspired by the look of metals.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life back to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
interior design: KUOO TAMIZO © Archicom press materials
As Flare Grzybowska belongs to the Archicom Collection line, there could be no shortage of truly "prestigious" additions. Thus, the lobby and other common spaces of the Grzybowska skyscraper will feature works by renowned artists - etchings by Anish Kapoor and a sculpture by Pieter Obels.
Flare Grzybowska will bring life to an unfinished skyscraper in Warsaw
proj.: BJK Architects © Archicom press materials
beautiful cities and a clear conscience?
Flare Grzybowska shows that even abandoned developments can gain a second life - provided the right vision, budget and sensitivity to quality. And while it is gratifying to see the circular economy entering the world of luxury, it is worrisome that it is still a luxury in itself. If every new "premium" but also less prestigious development started with recovery instead of pouring foundations, maybe we would not only have more beautiful cities, but also a clearer conscience.
