The construction work on the Skyliner II office building at Warsaw’s Daszyńskiego Roundabout is moving to the next stage. After twelve months of focused efforts, WARBUD S.A. is completing underground work. Construction of the podium has started, which will connect the two towers of the Karimpol Group.
The five-storey underground part of Skyliner II has been built using the top-down construction method with diaphragm walls reaching 33 metres deep into the ground. Work on the underground structure took one year. During this period, 59 reinforced concrete barrettes were constructed at a depth of 38 metres, as well as 42 temporary steel columns to support three bracing slabs, which are currently being dismantled. After completion of the concrete foundation slab, which is up to 5 metres thick, the ceilings of the underground storeys have been installed. Work has now moved to level zero.
“The five completed underground levels will offer parking spaces for more than 200 cars and hundreds of bicycles, as well as technical rooms necessary for the operation of the hydrant and sprinkler system, including water tanks. We are now focusing on the construction of the three-storey podium. We have completed the first 8-metre high walls of the main hall and the first reinforced concrete columns. These elements are made of exposed concrete, just as at Skyliner I. This is a key stage, extremely demanding technically and logistically. The work is complicated by the fact that the building covers almost the entire plot. The volume of materials is enormous, including nearly 3,500 tonnes of steel and 25,000 m3 of concrete across the building,” said Piotr Pikuła, Contract Director at WARBUD S.A.
To make optimum use of the challenging site conditions, the general contractor is moving the location of the tower crane, which will now stand on the ceiling of the completed basement of Skyliner II and will remain there until the end of construction.
The common podium will connect the two skyscrapers and provide a space of nearly 4,500 sq. m for retail and service functions. The space will be accessible for tenants and local residents.
“Skyliner I and Skyliner II are in fact one office complex, which is why we wanted the two buildings to be consistent and connected, as enabled by the design studio APA Wojciechowski Architekci. In the second phase of the project, the podium will become a fully glazed entrance foyer with an open illuminated two-storey lobby and mezzanine. As in the first phase, a representative staircase will lead to the podium, which itself will be full of lush natural vegetation. Furthermore, a transition walkway will connect the inside and the outside of the building. The landscaped area around the complex will be filled with new trees and plants and will be connected to the surrounding office and residential projects,” said Szymon Zduńczyk, Management Board Member at Karimpol Polska.
The construction of the Skyliner II podium and standard-plan storeys has been fine-tuned in every detail, as has the installation of the glass façade. The latter will be put in place using the technology of ready-made segments produced by Widok, a task for which engineers are preparing with great dedication. The installation of the self-climbing formwork system will begin in about two months. The general contractor has opted for a five-segment system, which will enable the walls of the core to be completed efficiently. As a result, each standard-plan storey will be built within five working days. The first façade elements are expected to be in place before the summer holidays.
The skyscraper will offer 24,000 sq. m of leasable space. Most of the space (23,000 sq. m) will be used for offices. The top floors of the building will feature terrace gardens with a total area of nearly 900 sq. m. Skyliner II has been BREEAM certified as Outstanding. Just like in the first phase, Karimpol plans to power the building with renewable energy sources.
The architectural design of Skyliner II has been created by the design studio APA Wojciechowski Architekci. Hill International is the project manager. The CBRE Poland team are responsible for the commercialisation of the second tower. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.