Glowing from afar as it were an ‘urban lantern’, the building was widely lauded as the futuristic face of the capital. Ravaged since the 90s by cheap embellishments and gaudy hoardings, it has since been allowed to slip into decline. Keen to allay concerns, the fast food franchise have promised to preserve the ‘architectural values’ of the building whilst also opting for a more discreet approach to their exterior branding.
Urban conservationists and architecture buffs have reacted with horror following the news that one of Warsaw’s classic examples of post-modernist architecture is set to be revived by McDonald’s. Opened in 1966 as part of the ‘Eastern Wall’ development, the Cepelia pavilion housed the flagship store of the Cepelia folk art retailers, a brand that was intended by the authorities to “solidify the rural identity of this socialist nation”.
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