The company has selected an additional 1,000 sq m of office space in the mixed-use Monopolis project - one of the city's largest and most closely watched revitalization investments.
Clariant, a leading Swiss chemical company, has decided to expand its office at Monopolis in Łódź with an additional 1,000 sq m of space. This brings the total area of the company's new office on the former premises of Monopol Wódczany to almost 5,000 sq m. Clariant will relocate to the complex in 2019.
Clariant's shared services centre will conduct business projects in the areas of procurement, logistics and finance for its international clients. This will be the only Clariant centre in Poland and one of the company’s three such business units worldwide. The Łódź-based headquarters already employs 300 people.
“We decided to consolidate our offices and move them to the revitalized spaces in Monopolis at the beginning of the year. However, due to the very rapid development of the company, the original area of 4,000 sq m became insufficient for our needs. I am very pleased that our company has decided in favor of the office spaces being developed in this post-industrial building which is part of such a prestigious project”, comments Paweł Pańczyk, President of the Board at Clariant Services.
The first phase of Monopolis complex will be open by next summer. The first buildings delivered to market will be the historical, post-industrial buildings with a total area of more than 10,000 sq m. This includes a three-storey building where Clariant's new office will be located. The building offers 7,200 sq m of office space and is located at the centre of the investment. Apart from offices, the first phase of the investment will also include a restaurant and services, a theater and a children's club.
“We try to look at the workplace through the eyes of our clients and create a space that would correspond to the needs of modern companies. After all, we spend most of our days in the office. Monopolis will not only provide flexible office space, but will also create a new and important addition to Łódź's urban fabric. We focus on city-forming features with restaurants, a café as well as a theater - open to both office workers and the general public. Monopolis will be a vibrant location during and after office hours as well as at weekends”, comments Krzysztof Witkowski, President of the Board at Virako.
Experts from JLL advised Virako - the investor of the Monopolis complex - on the negotiation process, while the tenant - Clariant - was advised by Cushman & Wakefield.
We recognize that tenants are increasingly interested in original office spaces located in multi-purpose projects. Clariant's decision to open its new headquarters in the former bottling plant is an excellent decision and should encourage other Łódź-based investors to take a similar path. At the same time, it confirms the attractiveness of the business location in the Central Axis of Łódź , the area that stretches from Al. Kościuszki to the crossroads of Piłsudskiego and Rydza-Śmigłego Streets
“Clariant has been consistently conducting its ambitious development strategy. Monopolis, as a unique investment with an incredible history, obviously meets the expectations of the most demanding tenants, including the Swiss group. Clariant's decision also underlines the great potential of the Łódź market. We look forward to more new and impressive investments”, adds Zuzanna Krech, Senior Negotiator, Cushman & Wakefield.
Monopolis - in the spirit of the city
Monopol Wódczany, the third largest factory complex after the factories of Karol Scheibler and Izrael Poznański, was built in 1902. For many years it played an important role in the development of Łódź. The Łódź distillery became the most modern in the Polish spirits sector. Monopol Wódczany has always played a great role in the life of the city. It was not only a place for work, but also hosted social and cultural events. In May 2017, Virako announced its plans to revitalize the former Monopol Wódczany plants and create a mixed-use complex with a well-developed restaurant, cultural and services proposition.
The central part of Monopolis consists of historic buildings that date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The main building of the former bottling plant will be transformed into comfortable offices. Furthermore, its ground floors will serve as locations for numerous restaurants, wineries and cafes. The former laboratory of flavored vodkas will accommodate a bistro, the spirit warehouse – a theatre, and Morsownia – a swimming pool and gym. There will also be space for the little ones. The project will offer space for a kindergarten and children’s day care centre. An important part of the Monopolis complex will be a museum dedicated to the history of the former Polmos and the technology used for the production of vodka. Monopolis will offer its tenants around 29,000 sq m of space, including 24,000 sq m of state-of-the-art office space located in three buildings, and over 5,000 sq m of services space.
The project of Monopolis was prepared by the architectural studio Grupa5 Architekci in co-operation with the Łódź-based office of Jerzy Lutomski. The general contractor for the first stage of the investment – Budimex – launched construction works in February 2018. The implementation of all three phases is to be completed by 2020. JLL, representing Virako in the transaction with Clariant, also serves as the exclusive agent responsible for the commercialization of the complex.