The best office buildings are distinguished by exclusive services

Details: Published on Friday, 08 September 2017 00:00; Written by AS

The attractiveness of Warsaw office buildings is enhanced by luxurious restaurants and clubs.

Good address, interesting architectural, technical or ecological solutions in the office building is not enough to make the facility competitive in today's market. Companies will not attract the best employees, if young people don't feel at home in the workplace. Moreover, they won't be willing to stay there after work hours. Therefore, apart from technical parameters and offered amenities, real functionality of the buildings, including the so-called soft factors are important.

Tenants are expecting a developed catering and retail offer as well as sports and recreation in the facilities. They are more likely to choose to lease space in the buildings, where one can eat well, meet and relax. Also, it is best if the employees can run some errands and do basic shopping in the complex.

Office building as a meeting place

Properly designed facilities must create good conditions for meetings, not just business but also those in less formal atmosphere. Hence, developers are eager to locate good fitness clubs and exclusive restaurants in the office buildings, which are often used as showcases for buildings. Apart from conference rooms and coworking spaces, prestigious office buildings are increasingly often arranging high-end restaurants, renowned cafes and gyms, and even luxurious nightclubs.

Hubert Biarda, Senior Leasing Consultant at Walter Herz talks about the growing role of catering in office complexes. - The owners of restaurants, cafes and clubs are a group of tenants who increasingly show their presence in the office segment. Catering already has a significant share in generating demand for space on the Warsaw market – informs Hubert Biarda.

Restaurant in an office building is an arrangement challenge

- After the fitness operators, which nowadays locate the new clubs in office buildings as a standard, it is time for exclusive restaurants. Interest of the owners of reputable catering establishments in office buildings, is noticeably greater than a few years ago. Attractive facilities in high-street locations provide a constant number of customers inside the building, as well as a large number of external guests - explains Walter Herz representative.

However, Hubert Biarda admits that setting up a restaurant or club in an office building is a big challenge, especially when it comes to technology - In the case of catering, it is necessary to provide the appropriate amount of supply and extract air, particular power supply, as well as the possibility to connect specialized equipment, which often requires drilling holes through the ceiling. It is also important to prioritize the possibility of obtaining consent for the sale of alcohol or to carry out a prior analysis to make sure the sanitation department accepts it - says Walter Herz expert.

He points out that it is not possible to prepare adequate space for catering in every building, and the whole process of arranging involves a great deal of involvement and cooperation with various specialists.

Lunch with a bird's eye view of the city

The specialist notes that the catering industry is very interested, not only in space on the ground floor but also on the upper floors of the buildings, due to the panoramic views they provide.

Walter Herz adviser mentions the first roof-top bar in Poland - The View with a terrace and a 360 degree panoramic view on the outdoor roof at 122 meters, which was opened in Warsaw's Spektrum Tower building. – We helped lease space for one of the most popular clubs in Warsaw today, located on two storeys on 1000 sq m. The project required solving many technical issues and obtaining numerous permits, given that it had a landing pad before – says Hubert Biarda.

Also Michelin-certified premises

An example of a successful symbiosis of an office building with a luxurious gastronomy is Fat Buddha Restaurant and Lounge, located in the historic office tenement at 2/4 Mazowiecka Street in Warsaw. - This is another spectacular project, where we had the opportunity to manage the complex implementation process. The arrangement of a two-storey restaurant, covering an area of approximately 800 sq m, required efficient planning, preparation and coordination of work of many subcontractors - explains Walter Herz represntative.

Among the interesting examples of catering and office segment fusion in Warsaw, Hubert Biarda mentions, among others: The Place Food & Events, STIXX Bar & Grill and Wabu Sushi Bar & Japanese Tapas in Warsaw Spire, Der Elephant in the office building by Plac Bankowy Square, Michelin star Senes Restaurant at Senator building, as well as Hala Koszyki.