Refugees settled in office buildings

Kacper Kępiński

17 of March '22

Atrium

...

The first residence centers for people fleeing the war in Ukraine are being launched in Warsaw. They are arranged in office buildings slated for demolition, which their owners donate for this purpose. Real estate companies offer not only the premises themselves, but also their adaptation to the needs of people's permanent residence. Municipal institutions are responsible for the operation of the centers.

Space for some 3,000 refugees has been pledged in their buildings by Archicom, Echo Investment, Globalworth and Skanska. A total of twelve entities have already committed to the initiative: AFI Europe, Atenor, Cornerstone Investment Management, Echo Investment, EPP, Globalworth, Griffin Capital Partners, GTC, HB Reavis Poland, Immofinanz, Panattoni and Skanska. Formal mechanisms have also been put in place so that willing companies and individuals can financially support the project.

Atrium

photo: ZGN Warsaw

On February 24, we found ourselves in a completely new reality. The attack by Russian troops on free Ukraine changed everything overnight, and we in Warsaw had to switch to functioning under crisis conditions. We all checked in to work, but we could not have prepared support on such a scale and of such a high standard if it were not for the support of private companies. This is a huge expression of solidarity, for which I thank you!

Michal Olszewski, Deputy Mayor of the City of Warsaw.

joint activities

Atrium

photo: ZGN Warsaw

The competing companies are jointly creating the #Property4Ukraine action - a platform of coordinated actions, which primarily offers places for refugees to stay. Echo Investment, Globalworth and Skanska are adapting office buildings to the needs of refugees at their own expense. Expenses related to the operation of these facilities will be shared with other companies that decide to join the initiative. Organizational and substantive support is provided by the United Nations Global Compact Network Poland.

refugees in an office building

Atrium

photo: ZGN Warsaw

A similar initiative has also been taken by Strabag, which has provided the Atrium building in Warsaw and the Plaza shopping center in Krakow. In the Warsaw office building, the refugee center is run by the Wola District Property Management Board. The facilities provided include not only accommodation, but also play and study spaces for children, rooms for psychologists, necessary sanitary facilities or kitchens. ZGN Wola also runs a similar center in the building of the danwego tatru at 22 Kasprzaka St. The institution informs about the current needs and collection of materials on an ongoing basis on its Facebook profile.

We wrote about the adaptation of the Plaza center a few days ago in an article on architekturaibiznes.pl

According to UNHCR data, we are talking about the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II. That's why it's a special concern to take care of the long-term support of refugee women and refugees from Ukraine today, among other things, in terms of housing. It is extremely important that real estate companies, together and in solidarity, in accordance with the appeal of the UN Global Compact Network Poland - United Business for Ukraine! - have decided to provide assistance in such a sensitive area. I hope that this example will also encourage other industry players, both in Polish and European cities, to act similarly. The UN Global Compact is an initiative of the UN Secretary General, bringing together businesses that respect the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact, including in the area of human rights and anti-corruption, which is a guarantee of transparency in the activities of such complex projects. The overarching goal is effective and long-term smart aid.

Kamil Wyszkowski, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Poland

more sites in the pipeline

Warta Tower

photo. press materials

Office spaces are currently being successively converted into temporary centers for refugees. Spaces in four Warsaw facilities are being adapted: two buildings in the Empark complex owned by Echo Investment and Archicom, as well as two skyscrapers in the center of Warsaw: Ilmet owned by Skanska and Warta Tower owned by Globalworth. The Echo Investment building already houses about 400 people. The space, which is ready to accommodate refugees, along with sanitary facilities, is being handed over to the care of the Municipal Social Assistance Centers, which will then manage the space provided.