Varso Tower is a premium office tower in the heart of Warsaw, located close to the Palace of Culture and Science. The building has a direct underground link to the adjacent Warsaw Central Station, a transport hub for international and regional trains, as well as local trams and buses. At 310 metres, it is the tallest tower in the European Union, and an integral part of the Varso masterplan that revitalizes the surrounding urban quarter, which was blighted during the World War II.
The 53-story structure has a unique presence on Warsaw’s skyline, and forms a gateway to the rest of the Varso development. Situated at the corner of Jana Pawla II and Chmielna Street, it draws people through the building towards a public plaza on its western end that connects to the neighboring buildings. The social heart of the building is a plaza enclosed within a glazed box, animated with full height trees and benches for people to enjoy the surroundings. This "urban room" forms the point of confluence between people who work in the offices – who may use it as a sit-out during breaks – and the public, to access the shops and restaurants in the neighboring buildings.
The public realm continues at the top of the tower. This is accessed directly from the ground via two panoramic lifts, with a viewing platform at level 53, the highest inhabited floor in Poland, that has uninterrupted views of Warsaw. Levels 49-46, contain a fully-landscaped terrace bar, overlooking the Vistula River and the dome of the Palace of Culture and Science, and restaurants and shops to enjoy the unique views on offer.
The offices are served by two banks of high-capacity double-deck lifts, with each car serving two floors at any one time. With 69,000 square metres of premium office space, the tower features large-span floorplates with three-metre clear height for open plan offices. The building is rated BREEAM Excellent with triple-glazed façades, conforming to 2022 Polish Energy ratings. Varso also features systems that help reduce energy consumption and water emissions.
Epstein served as the Architect of Record for this project, accompanied by our colleagues, Foster + Partners, who were the design architects.
