Słodowa Island 7: a tenement block that has survived. But will it last?

·17 September 2026

The tenement house at 7 Wyspa Słodowa is the last remaining example of the residential buildings in this part of Wrocław. The 19th-century building served successive tenants for over 100 years, before finally being converted into Concordia Design. MVRDV and Q2Studio preserved the external walls, but behind the renovated façades, entirely new interiors have been created. Since 2021, the eclectic tenement has been unrecognisable.

Vorderbleiche – an island of houses and mills

A solitary tenement house surrounded by greenery is a relatively new sight. In the past, Słodowa Island bustled with everyday life, its space filled with houses, farmyards and mills. It was in such surroundings that the building at number 7 was erected in the 19th century, later extended to include an outbuilding. Its plastered façades were adorned with cornices, window frames and other elegant details, whilst a small front garden preceded the gate. Behind the decorative façade lay spacious flats with windows facing three directions. It was only the destruction of the Second World War and subsequent demolitions that deprived the tenement of its former neighbourhood. Over time, the site of the demolished buildings became overgrown with green lawns. The surviving house became the most striking reminder of the former Vorderbleiche (literally ‘Front Bleaching’ – from the local tradition of bleaching linen).

Słodowa Island 7 – a survivor of the war

During the siege of Festung Breslau in 1945, shelling and bombing destroyed a significant part of the island’s buildings. The tenement house at number 7 survived, though its façades bore the marks of fierce fighting. Initially, it was not the only surviving building in the area. The damaged St Clare’s Mills stood for another 30 years. They were not demolished until 1975, despite strong opposition from architectural and conservation circles. People continued to live in the renovated No. 7 after the war, and daily life went on behind its decorative façade. Over the years, Słodowa Island became a place for walks, gatherings and open-air events, whilst the tenement house gradually fell into disrepair.

The battle for Wrocław’s last remaining tenement

The dilapidating building became the subject of widespread debate about the island’s future. Community activists campaigned for the creation of a space for residents, culture and education. For a time, the city announced plans to renovate the tenement block using its own funds, but ultimately the property was put up for sale again. In 2017, the bid submitted by Pro Design – a company linked to the Voelkel family and Poznań-based Concordia Design – was selected. The price amounted to over 9.5 million zlotys. The transaction covered the tenement and the right of perpetual usufruct of the land, not the whole of Słodowa Island. Instead of a community centre, a private complex with offices, catering facilities and event spaces was to be built here.

Concordia Design by MVRDV and Q2Studio

In 2018, a major refurbishment based on a design by MVRDV and Q2Studio got underway. As part of this, the internal walls, ceilings and old staircase were removed from the tenement building. According to the developer, they were in a dire state of disrepair. The external walls, meanwhile, were shored up, secured and reinforced, whilst the façades were cleaned and any missing decorative elements were restored. Shortly afterwards, the brick shell was filled with new ceilings and rooms, featuring a high atrium open across several storeys and exposed brickwork. The scale of this work is best described by the phrase ‘gutting the interior’: the flats, corridors, doors, stucco work, parquet floors, balustrades and the entire spatial layout of the 19th-century house had all disappeared. Whilst some of the historic fabric has been preserved, the heart of the building—which bore witness to successive generations of German and, later, Polish tenants—has been removed forever.

7 Słodowa Island – the scale of the changes

During the redevelopment and extension, the building’s proportions also changed. A new section was added to the renovated façade, featuring extremely simplified joinery; this section echoes the rhythm of the windows and horizontal divisions but is far more restrained in its decoration. The entire Concordia Design Hub is crowned by a roof featuring a viewing terrace. The former tenement block with its outbuilding has been transformed into a much larger, compact structure with a completely different character. Since 2020, it has housed offices, co-working spaces, catering facilities, and exhibition and meeting spaces. The entire project cost over 46 million zlotys. Although the development has been recognised by the architectural community and has won several awards, it is impossible to shake off a tinge of regret and a longing for authenticity. It has somehow slipped away.