A symbol of luxury in the 90s, see the interior of Warsaw's first shopping mall

Contents

1. Panorama Shopping Center in Warsaw. Outside there is a “bath” and inside there is a sunset breeze
2. Today, “Panorama” is considered one of the assets of contemporary culture

Panorama Shopping Center in Warsaw. Outside there is a “bath” and inside there is a sunset breeze

Initially there was an office building here Leipzig type. In the years 1990-1993 it was converted into a commercial facility bearing the appropriate name “Supermarket Bazaar”. The APAR-WADECO team was responsible for the project – Tadeusz Szumielewicz, Stanisław Chrzanowski, Mirosława Koczan, Marta Pawlica. Even before opening, the name was changed to “Panorama” – and it served as an inspiration Panoramic elevator in the shopping center. The first of its kind in Poland.

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The “bathroom” facade does not advertise what is happening inside. A magnificent form lined with white tiles, complemented by large windows – “crystals” of glass set in blue frames. At the top is a dynamic neon sign. As for the interior design, it is a different world, as it resembles the luxurious lobby of American office buildings in the early eighties and nineties of the last century. It is devoid of kitsch, equipped with brass elements, cascades of mirrored escalators (going upwards only), exotic plants and a flowing fountain. From ground floor to ceiling, it introduces you to the architecture of the Transformation Period, with which we have a rather difficult relationship in Poland.

The timing of the shift was right for the momentum. Mirror panels cover an area of ​​up to 1,200 square metres; Where possible, they were supplemented with stone. Gazeta Wyborcza Account:

Multicolour brown from India, Paradiso purple from Brazil, Nero black from South Africa, Beige marble from Moravica, Granite from Strzegom, Onyx from Afghanistan.

Today, “Panorama” is considered one of the assets of contemporary culture

30 years later, an architectural tour of the arcade will revolve around the stones. In collaboration with Aleksandra Stepien-Dabrowska, author of the book on Warsaw's Pomo and transformative architecture As if it were luxurious. A guide to the architecture of Warsaw in the 1990sIt will be led by Dawid Błaździewicz – a geologist.

“Panorama” was intended to be luxury from the beginning – the country's first real shopping mall that was intended for customers choosing more expensive brands. However, Target's narrowness means it's difficult to find the well-known crowds of other malls here. Luxury brands still operate at the gallery today – there are about 90 of them, and there are the same number of co-owners of the gallery.

The final years of the building's construction saw speculation about it being replaced by a skyscraper, a lack of parking, and of course the aesthetic value. In 2023, Panorama Shopping Center was included in the updated list of contemporary cultural assets in Warsaw, which means it is under conservation protection.

Projects of the 1990s and postmodernism in architecture are gaining an increasing number of advocates, especially among younger generations – just as in the case of post-war architecture, the demolished station in Katowice became a symbol, in the case of architecture in the transition period, it was a breakthrough moment. Solpol in Wrocław is demolished and, incidentally, is also included in the list of cultural assets.

Sources: Aleksandra Stepien-Dabrowska, As if it were luxurious. A guide to the architecture of Warsaw in the 1990s. Mr. Dr. Newya (2021), iwaw.pl, wyborcza.pl

See also: Apartment building with a villa on the roof – how was the famous “Monster” of Jastrzebie Zdrój created in the 1990s? After 30 years, it may cease to exist