We recently wrote about a woonerf under construction in Warsaw's Wola district, designed by architects from the JEMS studio[info]. The passageway, which commemorates the Wola brewers Haberbusch and Schiele, will be part of a larger development between Grzybowska, Wronia, Chłodna and Krochmalna streets - the Warsaw Breweries being redeveloped.
© Browary Warszawskie
The 4.5-acre former brewery site is being developed into a space with apartments and offices, proprietary dining venues and common spaces - plazas, urban gardens and courtyards. JEMS Architekci studio is responsible for the cohesive look of the establishment combining historic and modern buildings.
The hitherto closed area of the Warsaw Breweries will be reintegrated into the structure of the city. Four historic buildings - remnants of former breweries - will gain new life and functions: The Brewhouse, the cellars of the former Lodging House, Schiele's Villa and the Laboratory. The Villa has already been put to use, the building where the owners of the beer empire used to live, and today serves as a venue for meetings, workshops and conferences. Work is currently underway to restore the former splendor and give new functions to another historic building - the Brewhouse and the Lodge.
© Browary Warszawskie
From the beginning of designing the area, we kept in mind the sites associated with the brewing tradition of the quarter. We realized that they would be the heart of the new Warsaw Breweries. We wanted not only to renovate the Villa, Laboratory or Brewhouse, but also to give them a new purpose. Their revitalization will allow us to develop them in a completely new way, making them an even more attractive place for residents and visitors. - says Michal Gerwat, director of the Warsaw Breweries project.
Brewery
The heart of the former Warsaw Breweries was the Brewhouse, located in a 19th-centurybrick building. Currently, the facade of the building is undergoing renovation - old bricks and cornices are being cleaned. The installation of windows will also begin soon. Black steel frames and muntins will relate to the historic glazing. The building is located next to two emerging city squares: the Brewhouse market and the Labor courtyard. A modern apartment building will stand next to the post-industrial building that will house the restaurant.
We are carrying out the most complicated work in the Brewhouse, so we are proceeding with great care. We are carefully cutting out old ceilings and making new ones. We are putting in structures for new elevator shafts and stairwells. We are also reinforcing the old columns of the Brewhouse. All this work is necessary to bring new functions to this historic building. We will see the effect already at the end of the year. - Gerwat says.
Lodge
The history of the Lodging House also dates back to the 19th century. The cellars served as beer storage facilities and were connected to the Brewhouse building. Their layout shows evidence of multiple reconstructions, but the cradles and red ceramic brick from the Italy Brickworks have survived to this day.
We have already made passages between the cradles so that visitors can walk freely between the aisles. We are laying underfloor installations for the catering concepts that will be located in these historic basements. We are in the process of installing large glass display windows. - adds the director of the Browary Warszawskie project.
The first effects of the work in this historic part of the Warsaw Breweries will be seen in late 2020.
