A new event and conference space in Warsaw is now open. Owned by Villa Foksal, Look Up has occupied the top two floors of the Skyliner office building in Warsaw’s Wola district – the flagship investment of the Karimpol Group. The MIXD studio from Wrocław is responsible for the design of this nearly 830-square-metre interior
The conference and event centre in Skyliner is Villa Foksal’s latest project. Characterised by a subdued design and spacious interiors, Look Up combines modernity of form with a view of the capital’s skyline and professional catering service. The 41st floor is a modern conference and banqueting space, ready to accommodate up to 100 people. This space offers flexibility in space arrangement and can function as one larger room or be divided into two smaller rooms to create intimate, fully autonomous areas. Floor 42, on the other hand, is a spacious open space with a loft character and a height of over 14.5 metres, which can accommodate up to 200 people on an area of 270 sqm. It will prove useful as a space for conferences, banquets or sit-down dinners, but also for photo shoots or new product presentations
– We are delighted that our new space is now ready, as Look Up will redefine the concept of organising exceptional events. This extraordinary venue has been created to meet the most demanding expectations of event organisers and participants. Its unique features, such as its original design and location 165 metres above the ground in the Skyliner – in the very heart of the city – mean that Look Up will be completely different from all the existing event venues in Warsaw and will perfectly complement our offer on Foksal Street ,” says Paweł Chmielewski, owner of Villa Foksal and Look Up
Another distinctive feature of Look Up is its fully equipped, professional kitchen, looked after by one of the best chefs in Poland, Marcin Wojtczak, who will offer dishes tailored to the nature of the event. The menu is based on fresh, high-quality products, which are used to create original works of culinary art. They are complemented by an extensive wine list and a spacious bar on level 42. The menu is served in various forms, including fingerfood, served menus, buffets, cocktail menus and live cooking stations
The choice of location for Villa Foksal’s new venture was no accident. Skyliner is one of the newest and most technologically advanced A-class skyscrapers in Warsaw. It has nearly 49,000 sq.m of office and retail space on 42 floors. The top two floors have proven to be the ideal space for the Look Up Centre
– The lease of the 41st and 42nd floors is, in a way, the culmination of the entire Skyliner development process. Finding an operator for this space on the top two levels of our office building was not easy at all, especially during the pandemic period. From the beginning, we wanted it to be an accessible space that could be used not only by our tenants, but also by companies and outsiders. We ourselves were keen to open it up to outside initiatives. Previously, while the space was still raw, we hosted business meetings, networking events, photographers or film agencies, and in the spring we co-organised the Skyliner Everest Run, during which daredevils tackling the heights of the world’s highest mountain had a view of Warsaw’s skyline as a reward. We are delighted that Villa Foksal has found the idea to create a new place where you can organise basically any kind of event, the only limit is your imagination ,” says Harald Jeschek, managing partner at Karimpol Polska
The authors of the modern yet timeless interior design are architects from MIXD
from MIXD. The main idea behind the design was neutrality and a non-obvious combination of materials. Here we find copper mirrors, sconces made of semitransparent resin, a chequered veneer, concrete, milled MDF or oxidised steel. Functionality is complemented by technological solutions such as multimedia screens, projectors or professional sound systems. The spacious, high-ceilinged interiors of the event rooms required the introduction of appropriate acoustic solutions to avoid the echo effect. On the 41st floor, this is a “pleated” acoustic panel ceiling, and on the 42nd floor, acoustic panels were used to cover the inner core of the building. The hallmark of Look Up is to be the waving ribbon motif, which is repeated in the suspended installation on the 42nd floor, on the floor covering and on the bar buffet. The space on both floors has been created so that it can easily be personalised for individual events
– All along, we had it in our heads that this space would have to visually adapt to the needs of subsequent events. Hence the combination of neutral, colour-coordinated but high-quality materials on the walls, floors and ceilings with bolder, more three-dimensional elements: a spectacular bar and an installation in the shape of a ribbon spinning in the air. The space is almost empty, but a frenzy of details, patterns and textures plays out on the walls and other surfaces. The materials in geometric combinations look like they have been sliced with a giant blade, and the cut lines even open them up and allow you to see inside. This is exactly the space we wanted to create,” says Piotr Kalinowski, CEO and creative director of MIXD
See also: Architecture | Office building | Warsaw | Restaurant
