Mini Manhattan in the making
One of the largest projects taking shape in the area is the seven-storey Grzybowska Park. Work on the project on a site behind the Mercure Hotel is set to start this year. It will have a distinctive curved shape, and to some extent will resemble the nearby Saski Crescent on ul. Królewska as both buildings are designed by architects in APA Wojciechowski studio and are owned by AIG/Lincoln. It hopes to finish Grzybowska Park in 15 months.
Although ul. Grzybowska is no stranger to large buildings, as it already houses the Radisson SAS hotel, PZU and the ródmiecie building society office, there are a number of other new edifices in the pipeline. HGC is building a five-star Hilton hotel along with two 21-storey apartment skyscrapers along the street. Pekao Development also wants to erect two 20-storey buildings and Dawos has applied to obtain construction conditions for a residential 40-storey building.
Stellar Polska is also planning to build a controversial 11-storey office building in the area of the junction of ul. Królewska and ul. Graniczna. This project is strongly opposed by the residents of a nearby four-storey block of flats.
Although critical of the latter project, the Chief Architect of Warsaw, Michał Borowski, generally supports the development of the street. "Grzybowska should have a metropolitan atmosphere. Residential buildings should mingle with office ones so that the area will not be abandoned after working hours," he says.
