BGK’s headquarters in Warsaw is currently undergoing a comprehensive redevelopment to restore the building to its former splendour while adapting it to the requirements of the modern client. The modernisation includes a building with an area of over 25,000 square metres and a volume of nearly 119,000 cubic metres, located on Jerozolimskie Avenue, right next to the famous palm tree. Doraco Building Corporation is responsible for the investment, while the design for the modernisation of the monument was made by JEMS Architekci studio.
The renovation involves the complete renovation of the interiors, replacing the carpentry, reinforcing the reinforced concrete structure, replacing part of the ceilings and restoring the historic décor in a style drawn from art déco. The project also includes the installation of new lifts, the creation of meeting spaces – including in the former vault – and the reconstruction of the impressive skylights above the operating theatres. The Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego building will feature furniture and furnishings reminiscent of the original 1930s aesthetic.
Structural problems and design modifications
Once work had started and the reinforced concrete structure was exposed, it became apparent that the historic ceilings needed to be repaired and reinforced, which led to some of the work being halted. It was necessary to carry out technical expertise, prepare a modified construction project and obtain new administrative decisions. As a result, the schedule was changed and the scope of the investment was extended. Following negotiations with the contractor, the contract was annexed in January 2025. A new completion date of 30 September 2027 was then set for the reconstruction, 22 months later than originally planned. This state of affairs was also influenced by the pandemic. The value of the contract after the update is almost PLN 600 million gross.
Respecting the original architecture of the BGK in Warsaw
Due to the historic nature of the building, all work is being carried out under the watchful eye and supervision of a conservation officer. The dismantled interior elements, such as the alabaster cladding or marble floors, will be renovated and restored to their place in accordance with the original, and the original colour layers discovered during stratigraphic research will serve as a model for the new arrangement of the banking spaces. The work was also not without fascinating surprises. Amongst other things, the workers came across bricked-up doors from the 1930s, elements of partitioning from the time of the building’s construction and temporary repairs dating back to the 1944 uprising.
History of the building
The BGK building on Jerozolimskie Avenue was erected between 1928 and 1931 to a design by Rudolf Świerczyński. The building was one of the first examples of monumental modernist architecture in Poland. The building was designed as the headquarters of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego – an institution supporting the development of the economy of the reborn state. The interiors were decorated with stained glass by Wojciech Jastrzębowski and paintings by, among others, Felicjan Szczęsny Kowarski and Wacław Borowski. The stone, steel and galvanic elements gave the edifice a very representative character, and the whole was intended to testify to the power of the country.
Jerozolimskie Avenue with a view of the BGK building – 1933 and 2025. Source: Polona National Digital Library and whitemad.pl/Mateusz Markowski
In September 1939, a series of aerial bombs were dropped on the building, but its modern and very robust construction prevented significant damage. A year later, there was no trace of the minor defects in the upper floors. After the Germans entered Warsaw, the building was occupied by the occupying forces, who looted its furnishings and treasury. The difficult months of the Warsaw Uprising did not do much damage to the building either, as it was an excellent observation point on Nowy Świat Street and Jerozolimskie Avenue. After the reorganisation of BGK in 1948, the building became the property of the Investment Bank and was later taken over by the National Bank of Poland. Shortly after the end of the war, it was extended to the west – the new part received an elevation in a style corresponding to the original design. In 1965, the building was entered in the register of historical monuments. In 2020, preparations for its modernisation began, entrusting the design to the JEMS Architekci studio.
The future of the BGK building in Warsaw
The modernisation of BGK’s headquarters is being carried out with the aim of restoring it to its former glory and giving it a new function, albeit one that continues the site’s almost century-old traditions. When the work is completed, the building will become a modern space for work and meetings, while retaining its unique historical character. For the BGK authorities, the investment also has a symbolic dimension – it is intended to remind them of the bank’s role in the process of rebuilding statehood and Poland’s economic development after regaining independence.
Source: Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego
Read also: Architecture in Poland | Monument | Renovation | Modernism | Warsaw
The BGK building in 1938 and 2025. Source: Digital Library of the Warsaw University of Technology and whitemad.pl/Mateusz Markowski
Jerozolimskie Avenue with the bank in the background, 1968 and today. Source: Pastvu and whitemad.pl/Mateusz Markowski
Staircase on the side of Jerozolimskie Avenue, first floor landing in 1931 and in the future. Source: JEMS Architekci
