Golden Terraces

Main data:

Total height: 105 m
Number of floors: 30
Year of construction: 2007
Designer: Jerde Partnership
Location: ul. Złota 59

Golden Terraces are the largest investment that rose up in last years in Warsaw. Its construction took 5 years. This huge complex consists of a shopping and entertainment centre, which is situated on first levels and 2 office buildings: a 105-metre-high tower called Skylight and 8-floored, semicircled Lumen (actually it consists of 2 segments, connected with a glassed passage).

We already got used to large shopping centres in Warsaw, but Golden Terraces are because of few reasons unusual among them. First of all, because of their size (however, Arkadia at Babka Roundabout is a bit larger), secondly - any other shopping centre does not have such attractive location and, what is the most important - any of them does not have so unusual architecture. The central part of Golden Terraces is covered with a huge, glass roof. It is the most characteristic element of the complex. It is not flat, but undulating in a non-regular way, like tree crowns. Underneath there is the shopping centre, located at few levels. Altogether there are about 200 shops, cafes, bars, pubs and also a cinema.

Off course not everybody like such atypical architectural style. Many people say that Golden Terraces' architecture is too complicated or even just trashy and introduces just more mess to the centre, which is anyway already chaoticly built-up. But on the other hand, the skyscraper itself goes well and represents the same style as neighbouring Intercontinental Hotel, Warsaw Financial Centre and Rondo 1. And for sure so unusual architecture can attract attention rather than disgust potential customers, and that is what is mainly all about.

What can disgust is Golden Terraces' surrounding - first of all dirty and neglected Central Station, Emilii Plater street, which is full of holes and still undeveloped Defilades Square. It is really a shame that the very centre of Warsaw still looks so trashy and we only can hope that Golden Terraces will finally start some positive changes in this area.

The designing and preparing all formalities necessary for the investment took for six years. An architectural workshop Jerde Partnership was Golden Terraces' designer. And the main investor is ING Real Estate, the same company that had built in Warsaw Holland Park office building and apartment houses at the back of Plac Trzech Krzyzy (Three Crosses Square). The main contractor is Swedish company Skanska. The construction was started on the end of 2002. In 2004 it was stopped for several months, what was the result of a protest by one of pseudo-ecological organisations. This case was finished with a trial, which the investor has finally won. But because of that the construction was delayed and the previously planned term of its finishing - autumn 2005 had to be postponed. The shopping part of the complex was finally opened on 7th of February 2007. The office part - even later - in the second half of 2007. The estimated cost of whole investment is 1.5 billion zlotys. The area of the shopping centre is 65 thousand square metres and of the office part - 43 thousand square metres. The underground parking (unfortunately a paid one) can fit about 1600 cars.

More information about Golden Terraces can be found on its official website: www.zlotetarasy.pl.

Golden Terraces in the daylight:

A view of Golden Terraces from John Paul II Avenue, in the front the semicircled office building Lumen A general view of the complex seen from the intersection of John Paul II Avenue and Jerozolimskie Avenue The 105-metre-high Skylight, behind it - the Palace of Culture, on the right a fragment of Central Station's roof Another view of Skylight and the Palace of Culture The glass roof - the most characteristic element of the complex A close-up of the glass roof (in the background Rondo 1 skyscraper) A general view of the complex from south-eastern side Skylight - a view from south-eastern side Another view of the glass roof, behind it the semicircled Lumen One more view from south-easter side Skylight and the semicircled Lumen - a view from Emilii Plater street One more view of Skylight and Lumen One more view from Emilii Plater street A view from north-eastern side Skylight, behind it Marriott Hotel and Intraco II Skylight seen from the southern side

And at night:

A general view of the complex from the side of Central Station Another, similar view A view from Zlota street At night the ilumination of Golden Terraces changes colours all the time - here the skyscraper is lighted by yellow light In a while the colour changes to blue A view of the corner of Zlota and Emilii Plater streets in yellow... ...and in blue The interior of the complex - shops on few levels, the undulating roof above A metal structure on which the roof leans A view from the level +2 downhill Another view of the metal structure Behind that part of the glass structure there is the Central Station The maze of escalators We can get an impression that the structure bends and will collapse, but it is only a false appearance, it was planned to look like that intentionally

A satellite photo of Golden Terraces - taken from Google Maps:

(to see more photos, of particular stages of the construction click here).

(C) 2001-2010 Maciej Blazejewski