The office building that divided Varsovians. Controversial investment in the Old Town turns 10 years old

In 2015, the construction of one of the most controversial buildings in the capital in recent years was completed – the ‘Castle Square – Business with Heritage’ complex. The building was constructed at the junction of Podwale, Senatorska and Miodowa Streets, right on the border of Warsaw’s Old Town and just 100 metres from the Sigismund’s Column. Its location, as well as its architectural form, aroused huge emotions and extreme reactions from the very beginning. Now, 10 years after its completion, the debate about the office building continues. After a decade, does it fit into its historical context?

The office building was erected on a partially empty site, where there used to be tenement houses with residential and commercial functions. These buildings were destroyed during the Second World War. After 1945, a car park functioned on the plot for many years and a small building adjacent to the annexe of the Branicki Palace stood there. The decision to build a new building in such a prestigious location caused an avalanche of discussion. It was the first new building within the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 40 years. The design of the office building was developed by the Polish-German studio RKW Rhode Kellermann Wawrowsky, known, among others, for the PGE Arena stadium in Gdańsk and the controversial redevelopment of the modernist CeDeT in Warsaw. We wrote about it HERE. The building on Plac Zamkowy has two underground and four above-ground storeys, the highest of which is located at the level of the raised roof. Most of it is dedicated to offices, while the ground floor is occupied by commercial premises, including a popular drugstore chain and a fast food restaurant. Among other things, it is the presence of this type of business in such a representative location that has attracted criticism.

2013, soon only fragments of the walls will be left of the building standing on the left. Photo author: may/photopolska.eu

“Castle Square – Business with Heritage”–criticismand controversy

The biggest objections, however, concerned the architectural form of the office building, which according to critics stood out too much among the historic buildings of the Old Town. The investor was accused of introducing a new building into the historically coherent context, disturbing the harmony of the space and visually competing with the rococo John’s tenement at Krakowskie Przedmieście – considered one of the best examples of post-war reconstruction in Warsaw. For those who criticised it, the investor himself – Maciej Marcinkowski, an entrepreneur known for buying up claims to real estate in prestigious locations in the capital – was also not without significance. The plot on which the building stood was one of his most valuable acquisitions.

New office building at the Old Town

The architects tried to fit the body of the building into the surrounding buildings by dividing it into three segments, which was to refer to the classicist palaces and tenement houses that once stood here. The project, preceded by an analysis of historical photographs and documents, was carried out in close cooperation with a conservation officer. The investor emphasised the use of high-quality materials to bring elegance and prestige to the space. Despite these efforts, opinions on the office building remain extremely divided. Some believe that no new buildings should be erected at all so close to the Royal Castle, while others criticise its scale and style, accusing it of being inconsistent with its historical surroundings. On the other hand, supporters of the building see it as an aesthetic solution to the problem of the neglected plot and a harmonious compromise between modernity and tradition.

The plot on the corner of Podwale and Senatorska Streets in 2011 and 2025. Photo: Google Maps and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski

Investment through the eyes of an expert

In 2017, the renowned Polish journalist, publicist, varsavianist and art historian Jerzy Stanisław Majewski expressed his opinion on the office building at 2 Senatorska Street. In an article published on the architecture.muratorplus.pl portal, he assessed the then two-year-old investment. In his opinion, the project was not as controversial as the media wrote about it at the time. He was of the opinion that the body of the building blends harmoniously into its surroundings, especially when viewed from Castle Square. It also does not give the impression of excessive competition with John’s tenement house. In his opinion, the sculpting of the building’s form, with the higher parts in the corners on the side of Castle Square and Miodowa Street and the lower part along Senatorska Street, was well thought out. A similar layout, with corner pavilions, was used for a pre-existing tenement from the late 18th century.

However, in the journalist’s opinion, the building looks different from the western side, especially from the perspective of Trasa W-Z or Hipoteczna Street. In this view, the flat surface of the roof clearly dominates the frontage of Miodowa Street and the baroque Branicki Palace, overwhelming the historic buildings. Covering the roof with grey sheet metal significantly disrupts the cultural landscape of the Old Town area. Majewski considered it a significant mistake that the conservation authorities did not enforce the use of ceramic tiles instead of the current material.

Warsaw’s Old Town – concerns over UNESCO status

Opponents of the construction also raised the argument that the new office building could lead to the removal of Warsaw’s Old Town from the UNESCO list. The example of Dresden was cited at the time, which was added to the World Heritage list in 2004 but was removed from it just six years later, following the construction of the controversial Waldschlösschen bridge, which disrupted the city’s historic landscape. Concerns were so serious that the matter was looked into by the interested parties themselves, namely experts from UNESCO. They sent their representative, Bernhard Furrer, to the Vistula River to prepare a report on the controversial investment at Podwale Street and its impact on the entry of the Old Town on the prestigious list. He negatively assessed the height of the roof, the scale of the office building and its elevations, pointing out that the panelled structure does not harmonise with the surroundings. However, the results of the report turned out to be irrelevant, as work was then at too advanced a stage to make significant changes to the project. All that was left was to change the colour of the roof and part of the façade, and other cosmetic improvements.

Summary and evaluation of the “Castle Square – Business with Heritage” project

The construction of the office building “Castle Square – Business with Heritage” remains one of the most controversial architectural projects in Warsaw in recent years. By developing one of the last empty plots of land in the area, the investor and architects attempted to refer to the historical context and incorporate the building into the historic fabric of the city. Its classical form, however, dressed in a modern costume, stands apart from the neighbouring tenement houses and palaces, and does not conduct a successful dialogue with the historical surroundings. Almost all the buildings in the vicinity of Castle Square are post-war reconstructions, and although they represent different styles, they retain a common denominator – consistency. “Castle Square – Business with Heritage” causes an aesthetic “clash” in the midst of the historic buildings and immediately evokes the thought that something does not belong here. However, the case of the office building is not only about the appearance itself, but also about the precedent that this investment can set, opening the door to further commercial projects in such historically valuable places. It is worth asking ourselves whether we should not strive to preserve the authentic spirit of the Old Town, rather than adapting it to modern realities. After all, when it comes to historic spaces, the balance between the preservation of heritage and the needs of modern urban planning should be treated with particular caution. It is true that no new buildings have been built near Warsaw’s Old Town for the past 10 years, but let us not forget that developers are lurking for every scrap of valuable land.

We are very curious to hear your opinion of the office building on Plac Zamkowy!

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Source: architektura.muratorplus . pl, sztuka-architektury.pl, wiadomosci.onet.pl

Perspective of Miodowa Street from the intersection with Senatorska Street, early 20th century and today. Source: Polona National Digital Library and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski

Castle Square in 1921 and 2017. source: Museum of Warsaw and Google Earth

Tenement house on the corner of Miodowa and Senatorska Streets in March 1926 and January 2025. The older photograph shows the shop signs of “Sybilski i s-ka”, “S. Czapiński” and the hairdressing salon of R. Wiechecki. Source: NAC – National Digital Archive www.nac.gov.pl/ and WhiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski