New era, new space for embassies
With vacancy still high and set to climb further in around a year's time, the arrivals of the New Zealand Embassy and the Japanese Culture and Information Center at Dom Dochodowy on Plac Trzech Krzyży and the Embassy of Ireland at the nearby Liberty Corner, are more than welcome. Such tenants not only promise leases of up to ten years, they also make an invaluable contribution to the prestige of a building.
Poland's accession to the EU has played an important role in these moves. Until now, indeed, New Zealand's representation in Poland was limited to a small consulate in the Saska Kęmpa district of Warsaw. Its first ever embassy in this country is being opened precisely because Poland has joined the wider European family and is the largest of all the new Central European accession states; New Zealand will not be launching embassies in any of the other capitals in the region. The Irish embassy too is on the move because of the expansion of the EU on May 1. "Our needs are changing," says Ralph Victory, deputy head of mission at the embassy, "they are becoming more functional now that there are 25 members of the EU and we have to have more conference space. We are also expanding our staff."
The Embassy of Ireland is currently housed at a stand alone building on ul Humańska 10, where it is, of course, in full public view. It might seem to some that to switch premises from their own high profile building to one hidden away in an office development is a strange decision by the Irish, but it is in fact a sound one reached after very careful deliberation. "It's not unusual for Irish embassies to take up office space," says Victory. "We don't tend to look for flagship buildings and there's a clear trend for us to focus on office needs. We get out and about and meet people rather than expect the building to do our work for us."
The opposite could be said perhaps for the new Dutch Embassy on ul Kawalerii, near Łazienki park, which celebrated its official opening on October 1. Designed by Erick van Egeraat, the building is a highly elaborate and innovative departure from the rather austere diplomatic norm and presents itself as a showcase to commemorate Poland's entry to the EU. Influenced by the work of the seventeenth century Dutch architect Tylman van Gamerman, who designed some sixty buildings in Poland, the embassy prides itself on its cultural openness and humanity, in contrast to the 'fortress' tendencies in other national representations, which are preoccupied with the threat of terrorism.
Security is clearly a crucial issue for any embassy, however, regardless of whether they are housed on a floor of an office building or occupy the whole of a stunning landmark. The former scenario would seem to present most complications given that an embassy will be sharing the building with other tenants. In most cases where they occupy space in an office development embassies will operate their own security systems in parallel with the existing provision but they are still very particular about where they will lease premises.
"An embassy wouldn't locate next to a school, for instance, where there are a lot of visitors," says Anna Kot, head of Jones Lang LaSalle's office agency, which leased the space to the New Zealanders and Japanese on behalf of Dom Dochodowy's owners the Platan Group. "They might insist on other features, such as a certain distance from other buildings and they will tend not to favor space on either the top or ground floors. They will also avoid buildings with too many entrances. Securing each of these can get very expensive." In its search for new headquarters, the Embassy of Ireland had apparently declined to move into one building precisely because it felt it was too porous. Before the New Zealand Embassy could move in to its 457 square meters on the fifth floor of the building, some important changes had to be implemented. "There had to be extra capacity for their archives and the windows had to be made bullet-proof, which is not possible in every building of course," says Ms Kot.
Whilst Dom Dochodowy and Liberty Corner are both elegant, historical buildings which seem natural homes for a country's representation, (the former also hosts 80 square meters of the Lithuanian Embassy), there other more modern developments in Warsaw which house embassies. Nautilus on ul Nowogrodzka is where the Australian Embassy runs its mission and South Africa is headquartered in International Business Center on Al Armii Ludowej. Security and functionality clearly override other more aesthetic or cultural concerns in these cases. Warsaw's embassies are as diverse as the countries they represent.
Poland's accession to the EU has played an important role in these moves. Until now, indeed, New Zealand's representation in Poland was limited to a small consulate in the Saska Kęmpa district of Warsaw. Its first ever embassy in this country is being opened precisely because Poland has joined the wider European family and is the largest of all the new Central European accession states; New Zealand will not be launching embassies in any of the other capitals in the region. The Irish embassy too is on the move because of the expansion of the EU on May 1. "Our needs are changing," says Ralph Victory, deputy head of mission at the embassy, "they are becoming more functional now that there are 25 members of the EU and we have to have more conference space. We are also expanding our staff."
The Embassy of Ireland is currently housed at a stand alone building on ul Humańska 10, where it is, of course, in full public view. It might seem to some that to switch premises from their own high profile building to one hidden away in an office development is a strange decision by the Irish, but it is in fact a sound one reached after very careful deliberation. "It's not unusual for Irish embassies to take up office space," says Victory. "We don't tend to look for flagship buildings and there's a clear trend for us to focus on office needs. We get out and about and meet people rather than expect the building to do our work for us."
The opposite could be said perhaps for the new Dutch Embassy on ul Kawalerii, near Łazienki park, which celebrated its official opening on October 1. Designed by Erick van Egeraat, the building is a highly elaborate and innovative departure from the rather austere diplomatic norm and presents itself as a showcase to commemorate Poland's entry to the EU. Influenced by the work of the seventeenth century Dutch architect Tylman van Gamerman, who designed some sixty buildings in Poland, the embassy prides itself on its cultural openness and humanity, in contrast to the 'fortress' tendencies in other national representations, which are preoccupied with the threat of terrorism.
Security is clearly a crucial issue for any embassy, however, regardless of whether they are housed on a floor of an office building or occupy the whole of a stunning landmark. The former scenario would seem to present most complications given that an embassy will be sharing the building with other tenants. In most cases where they occupy space in an office development embassies will operate their own security systems in parallel with the existing provision but they are still very particular about where they will lease premises.
"An embassy wouldn't locate next to a school, for instance, where there are a lot of visitors," says Anna Kot, head of Jones Lang LaSalle's office agency, which leased the space to the New Zealanders and Japanese on behalf of Dom Dochodowy's owners the Platan Group. "They might insist on other features, such as a certain distance from other buildings and they will tend not to favor space on either the top or ground floors. They will also avoid buildings with too many entrances. Securing each of these can get very expensive." In its search for new headquarters, the Embassy of Ireland had apparently declined to move into one building precisely because it felt it was too porous. Before the New Zealand Embassy could move in to its 457 square meters on the fifth floor of the building, some important changes had to be implemented. "There had to be extra capacity for their archives and the windows had to be made bullet-proof, which is not possible in every building of course," says Ms Kot.
Whilst Dom Dochodowy and Liberty Corner are both elegant, historical buildings which seem natural homes for a country's representation, (the former also hosts 80 square meters of the Lithuanian Embassy), there other more modern developments in Warsaw which house embassies. Nautilus on ul Nowogrodzka is where the Australian Embassy runs its mission and South Africa is headquartered in International Business Center on Al Armii Ludowej. Security and functionality clearly override other more aesthetic or cultural concerns in these cases. Warsaw's embassies are as diverse as the countries they represent.
