Golden glazing, turrets and postmodern splendor - the characteristic "golden tenements" in Gdansk will soon be history. The previous design of the new development stirred up controversy, and to this day it is not clear what exactly will be built there.
This much is now certain. The characteristic "golden tenements" will disappear from the landscape of Gdansk. In November, the City Hall granted the investor's request and gave permission for the demolition. According to the decision, the demolition work will concern the entire above-ground part of the development complex, including the historic tenements on Szopy Street. The work is scheduled for 2028.
There is permission for demolition, but the appearance of the new development is an unknown
The building that now houses mostly offices has been in the hands of Alides, which is planning a new development since 2021. Last year the project saw the light of day, but the vision did not gain the approval of the Land Use Commission, and Piotr Lorens, the Architect of the City of Gdansk, was also critical of it. At the time, Alides proposed that the City allow buildings between 20 and 23 meters with a 26-meter dominant. In comparison: "golden tenements" in the highest part today are nearly 21 meters without spires (about 22.5 meters when they are included).
Today, the developer reports that that project is no longer valid. What is known, however, is that the Tricity-based Roark studio is responsible for the work, as before.
- Currently, the investment is at the stage of a multi-discipline concept, and we also plan to prepare a construction project in the coming months," Luiza Grunwald of Alides informs AiB.
In January 2025, city councilors passed a development plan for the site. According to it, the height of the buildings cannot be higher than 21 meters. The new plan changed the zoning of the site from service to residential and commercial functions. The planners also stipulated that the implementation of the development is to take place "after a previously held architectural and urban planning competition." However, apparently this provision will remain only on paper, as the investor has already selected a studio.
Tenements on Szopy Street will also be demolished
Google Street View
Not only the "golden tenements" are going to be demolished....
The construction of the characteristic golden tenements on Dlugie Ogrody Street in Gdansk was completed in the late 1990s. The office complex, consisting of five interconnected buildings with services on the first floors, was designed by respected Gdansk architect Stanislaw Michel, author of projects for the reconstruction of more than a hundred Gdansk tenements. The postmodern development, distinguished by its golden glazing and turrets, became famous because it was here that Amber Gold had its headquarters. Although the building evokes rather negative feelings among locals, it cannot be denied that it is a valuable example of development from the 1990s.
This project is no longer valid. A board presented by the investor to councilors in 2024 during the Municipal Land Use Committee
Photo: Przemysław Majewski, Councilman of the City of Gdańsk
In recent weeks in Gdansk, investors have been preparing a wave of demolitions. The City Hall has received applications for the demolition of two buildings in the center: the PKS station, built in the 1970s, and the Royal Passage, a department store opened in the 1990s near the Coal Market.
