Kraków is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in both Poland and across Europe. The city is also well-known for its excellent long-standing academic institutions, being an important business location and a city which boasts impressive historical architecture. Until recently, these were the elements that predominantly shaped the image of Kraków. However, in the past few years, increasingly innovative architectural projects have been making their mark in the city, diversifying the urban space and the image of Kraków.
Earlier this month, the media reported on another recipient of the Pritzker Prize. This year's “Nobel in architecture”, as the award is known, went to Arata Isozaki from Japan. But what does this Japanese architect have to do with Kraków? Well Isozaki served as the design consultant for one of the most important congress centers in Poland - ICE Kraków - and was responsible for the conceptual design of the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology.
Both projects are great examples of a skillful combination of matching modern architecture with the city's historical urban surroundings. In addition, they are helping to build Kraków's image as a modern metropolitan area that moves with the times. These are especially important factors for people who are planning to live here, On the one hand, these people can appreciate the city's rich history and landscape of the vintage streets and - on the other - want to be sure that they are moving to an innovative city that provides many opportunities for development
To celebrate the 10th birthday of JLL's office in Kraków, a party was organized at the Manggha Museum. JLL has been operating actively on the local market , supporting the dynamic development of the office sector, and contributing to the increased investment attractiveness of the city. Over the last decade, the JLL team has commercialized eight buildings with a total area of approx. 85,000 sq m and represented both tenants and landlords in lease agreements totalling 300,000 sq m.
“We wanted to meet on this special evening in an interesting and not so obvious venue that would not trigger any particular business connotations. Instead, we wanted it to interest us, stimulate our imagination as well as showing a completely different side of Kraków. The Museum's minimalist modern interiors, designed in deference to Japanese art, were the perfect choice”, adds Dorota Gruchała.
Other examples of state-of-the-art architecture include the Centre for the Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor “Cricoteka”, MOCAK -the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Exhibition and Information Pavilion Wyspiański 200, the Kraków Opera,and the Małopolska Garden of Art.
“Kraków is still seeing an increase in modern office projects that complement the landscape of the city and prove that this is one of the business capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. According to our data, there is nearly 240,000 sq m of office space under construction in Kraków. New investments are not only innovative, but also aim to serve the city's residents by offering them interesting public spaces , cafes, restaurants and services on the ground floors of numerous office buildings. Thanks to the extensive development of the city, which has been implemented with the city's traditions in mind, Kraków will become a perfect example of a place that combines history with modernity”, concludes Dorota Gruchała.