The National Heritage Institute has commenced operations at its new headquarters at the HOP office building in Warsaw, at 132/134 Chmielna Street. The new tenant has taken up nearly 3,800 sq m of space and is the latest – following the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection – state institution to choose HOP as its headquarters. Following the finalisation of the transaction, the occupancy rate of the complex owned by Syrena Real Estate stands at 98 per cent.

The National Heritage Institute is a state cultural institution whose mission is to lay the foundations for the sustainable protection of cultural heritage. The Institute sets and promotes standards for the protection and conservation of historic monuments, raises public awareness of the value and preservation of heritage, and collects and disseminates knowledge on the subject. The National Heritage Institute has taken up nearly 3,800 square metres of space across five floors of the building. The Institute was represented by the consultancy firm Colliers during the letting process. Reesco is responsible for the interior fit-out of the Institute’s new headquarters.

– The values represented by the National Heritage Institute are particularly close to our hearts, as our approach to property is also founded on respect for what already exists. At Syrena Real Estate, we specialise in giving buildings a new lease of life – unlocking their potential, returning them to the city and adapting them to new needs, rather than starting from a blank page. This is the path taken by HOP: a distinctive postmodernist building from the 1990s which, following modernisation, has become a contemporary workplace whilst also serving as a space open to culture, the arts and the city,” says Ewa Lubańska, leasing director at Syrena Real Estate.

– The new headquarters provides us with the conditions to further develop the Institute and fulfil its mission. HOP offers a space that meets the needs of our team, whilst its location in the centre of Warsaw makes it easily accessible to both staff and those collaborating with the NID. It is also important to us that we are based in a building with distinctive architecture, which has been given a contemporary reinterpretation,” emphasises Michał Krasucki, acting director of the National Heritage Institute.

HOP is one of the most striking examples of the regeneration of an existing office building in the centre of Warsaw. The building has been given a new architectural identity, whilst also being enhanced with facilities that meet the contemporary needs of its users. The ground floor now features, amongst other things, co-working and conference spaces covering 1,000 square metres, whilst in front of the building there is a publicly accessible, green urban square covering approximately 600 square metres. As part of the modernisation, provision has also been made for cycling infrastructure and electric vehicle charging points. Another element of the project is a flat designated as an artists’ residence, whilst the HOP spaces host exhibitions, meetings and events dedicated to, amongst other things, architecture and art. The architect behind the new HOP design is Anna Łoskiewicz of Łoskiewicz Studio.

HOP offers over 14,000 sq m of lettable space. The building has six above-ground storeys and one underground storey, which houses a car park with 94 parking spaces. It has been awarded BREEAM in Use (EXCELLENT), WELL Health & Safety and ‘Barrier-Free Facility’ certifications. Tenants in the building include, amongst others, GIOŚ, Aplikacje Krytyczne, YOPE, BNP Paribas Bank Polska SA, ERM Polska, Evergreen and Żabka. The building’s manager, Syrena Real Estate, also has its headquarters there. The LUPO Pasta Fresca restaurant operates on the ground floor of the office block.