EXCLUSIVE ART NOUVEAU REVIVAL. THE BUILDER EXCLUSIVE WILL DESCRIBE THE ‘KOSZYKI’ MARKET HALL IN WARSAW.

The fourth, special edition of the prestigious publication The Builder Exclusive is entirely devoted to Hala Koszyki – the ‘Koszyki’ market hall located in Warsaw. The monograph on this unique revitalization, thanks to the redesign of the layout and the new format, will join the world standard of the best publications of this kind.

As in previous editions, The Builder Exclusive in an integral and comprehensive manner presents the whole implementation process and provides an excellent benchmark for the analysis of the construction and investment markets in terms of best practices. The three previous monographic issues of this monthly magazine have generated growing interest.

‘No one has ever made a professional comparison of architectural aspects, execution works and an investment process in such an unconventional way’ – says Michał Grocki, Project Manager of The Builder Exclusive. There is a clear demand for this type of publication, and our unique publishing formula makes it even more attractive.

The ‘Koszyki’ market hall is an unusual project. A special place, outstanding architects and an exceptional investor are the energy that has restored the original character of the hall more than a century after its foundation. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries market halls were the centre of social life for the inhabitants of every European metropolis. Today, the restored historical interior of Hala Koszyki smoothly integrates the culinary world with cultural space. The new look of this ‘huge melting pot’ was created by JEMS Architekci, masters in the category of successful revitalization works.

The architecture, layout and furnishing of the renovated ‘Koszyki’ market hall have been carefully thought through and meticulously designed. The hall owes its elegant details that are almost identical with the originals, the natural warmth of sandstone and pre-war advertisements extracted from below the plaster layer to Restauro, a company from Toruń specializing in conservation, repair and modernization of historic buildings. The Art Nouveau splendour has been restored thanks to Italian equipment used for the conservation of such priceless works of art as sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo as well as paintings in Santa Croce Church in Florence.

However, the editorial staff of the Builder monthly have not only been impressed by the composition, reconstruction or innovative technical solutions used but also – which is perhaps even more important – by bringing the large urban space back to life. Griffin Real Estate CEO’s vision, JEMS Architekci’s concept and excellent construction and installation works by Erbud , which used the best-in-class products and system solutions, made the people of Warsaw love Hala Koszyki at once. Now, like in the case of Foodhallen in Amsterdam, Mathallen in Oslo, San Lorenzo in Florence and Mercado da Ribeira in Lisbon, thousands of people visit it every day.

In the latest edition of the Builder Exclusive, the original concept of Hala Koszyki is presented by Mateusz Świętorzecki from JEMS Architekci, one of its creators. With no pretence or unnecessary glorification, he talks about the design and construction process, about application of old, historic bricks to emphasize the Art Nouveau spirit, but also the use of new steel and polished concrete. On the other hand, Józef Adam Zubelewicz representing Erbud, the general contractor, speaks about the most modern solutions used for founding and constructing new buildings and the preservation of the survived part of the hall and the restoration of the missing elements so that they were the most similar to those originally designed by Juliusz Dzierżanowski.

– The idea for Hala Koszyki, though completely new in Poland, was inspired by visits to similar historic places that are bustling with life today in Florence, Madrid and many other cities – said Przemyslaw Krych, the CEO of Griffin Real Estate. And you can now add Warsaw to this list. It has deserved such a position. The assumption was quite simple – give Hala Koszyki back to Warsaw residents, who were and who are strongly attached to the place and at the same time to create a completely new quality, unique on a country scale.

The 140-page monograph of the ‘Koszyki’ market hall is enriched by world-class artistic photographs. Prepared specially for the needs of the monograph, they emphasize the uniqueness of the restored building. They were taken by Juliusz Sokołowski, who is considered the godfather of contemporary architectural photography in Poland. He is an authority who has influenced such photographers as Jakub Certowicz, Konrad Pustoła or Jan Smaga. In 2005, together with Marcin Czechowicz, he represented Polish photography during Form and non-form, the international exhibition of architecture and photography in Luxembourg. Also thanks to his photographs, you can ‘feel’ the unique atmosphere of the Hall while reading this publication.

Hala Koszyki – the ‘Koszyki’ market hall is a new social and culinary spot on the map of Warsaw, where you can find flavours from all over the world – the flagship project of Griffin Real Estate. The design of the hall was prepared by JEMS Architekci studio and the interior concept by Medusa Group studio. Erbud was the general contractor.

The Builder Exclusive is a special publication presenting carefully selected construction facilities that could inspire architects, contractors or investors. The edition devoted to the ‘Koszyki’ market hall in Warsaw shows that technological solutions commercially available on the market provide architects and investors with enormous creative possibilities.

The Builder monthly is the number one industry-related magazine in Poland. It has been issued for 20 years now and is a well-recognised quality label among construction companies, architects, urban planners and investors. It is a platform integrating the construction, business, financial and political environments.

More information:
Michał Grocki
M: +48 505 415 940
E-mail: grocki@buildercorp.pl