In Wrocław, there is an ongoing discussion about the future of the former headquarters of Zakłady Elektronicznej Techniki Obliczeniowej (Electronic Computing Technology Works), known as ZETO. The modernist building from the late 1960s remains abandoned and requires thorough renovation, as well as decisions regarding its future use. For the city, it is an important building associated with the history of Polish IT.
The beginnings of IT in Wrocław
ZETO, or Zakłady Elektronicznej Techniki Obliczeniowej, was one of the first computing centres in the country. The institution dealt with data processing and the operation of large digital machines at a time when computers were rare. The building itself, located on Ofiar Oświęcimskich Street, was built between 1967 and 1969 according to a design by Anna and Jerzy Tarnawski from Miastoprojekt Wrocław. From the very beginning, it served as an office building with open spaces, rooms for machines and full administrative facilities. Computers were displayed behind large windows on the ground floor. The building quickly became a symbol of the city’s technological aspirations in the second half of the 20th century.
ZETO as an icon of modernism
The building has three storeys and a simple structure based on a square-like plan. Its façades are divided by horizontal stripes, which reinforce the horizontal rhythm of the building. A characteristic element of the Tarnawski brothers’ design is the cladding of small black and white ceramic tiles arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which appears on the façades and interiors. Wide strips of aluminium windows run around the building and provide good interior lighting. The structure of the building is made of reinforced concrete, and the finish is based on ceramics, aluminium and glass. ZETO is one of the most distinctive and well-preserved examples of post-war modernism in Wrocław.
Wrocław modernism at its best
The interior of the building was designed with teamwork and the operation of advanced equipment in mind. In the central part of the building, there was a patio with greenery, which illuminated the rooms and created a small oasis for rest. The ground floor served as an open area for visitors, while the upper floors were designated for offices, studies and conference rooms. The building also housed a café with a terrace. In the 1970s, the ZETO building was considered one of the most technologically advanced in Poland. It received the Wrocław Award for architecture and first place in a nationwide competition for the best public building.
HEA’s plans for ZETO
After 1990, the importance of state-owned IT companies began to decline. As a result, ZETO gradually became deserted, and the lack of necessary renovations led to the deterioration of the technical condition of the modernist structure and interiors. In 2022, the now iconic building was entered in the register of monuments, which provoked opposition from the property owner and a series of court proceedings. Ultimately, the case went to the Supreme Administrative Court. In the past, there was even a request for demolition, justified by the poor condition of the structure. In 2024, the property was purchased by HEA, a company from Wrocław, which recently submitted an application for its extension, reconstruction and superstructure. The conservator strongly opposed these plans. Shockingly, the same investor built the infamous building on Plac Wolności. We wrote about it HERE.
Below is a link to one of the ZETO redevelopment projects:
ZETO against the backdrop of Wrocław’s reconstruction
The history of ZETO is part of the large process of reconstruction and development of Wrocław after 1945, which was severely damaged during World War II. In the 1960s, the city invested heavily in the electronics industry, and next to ZETO, there were ELWRO factories producing Odra series computers. The construction of a new headquarters for the computing centre was part of this strategy. In the days of a centrally controlled economy, the facility played an important role in serving businesses and institutions from across the region. After the political changes, the market structure underwent transformations, and the former computing centres lost their raison d’être in their previous form. Today, the ZETO building is a tangible testimony to that era, when the development of information technology was treated as one of the pillars of Wrocław’s reconstruction. It is therefore not surprising that the provincial conservator of monuments, Daniel Gibski, is doing everything in his power to protect the integrity and authenticity of the building. The HEA Investment project involves a very large-scale intervention in the building and its surroundings. Visualisations can be found HERE.
Source: Wrocław City Hall, tuwroclaw.com
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