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Złota 44 is a spectacular skyscraper in the centre of Warsaw, and one of the landmarks of the Polish capital. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the sail-shaped building is located on Złota street, between the Palace of Culture and the Central Railway Station. Standing at 192 metres-high, it ranks amongst the top ten tallest buildings in the city, with 54 storeys and 251 apartments.
Złota 44 is a luxurious building that offers a wide range of services and facilities to its residents, including a 25m indoor swimming pool, sauna, and spa.
The iconic design of the skyscraper by architecture Studio Libeskind challenged engineers with its unusual shape. Arup was brought on board to assist with the engineering design for the building as well as to provide structural, mechanical, electrical and public health services, and wind analysis. We also carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and traffic analysis for the car park.
Arup’s technical experts created cost-effective building design solutions to ensure occupant comfort and optimise the efficient use of energy through the lifecycle of Złota 44, while reducing the environmental impact of the building construction.
Project Summary
192m high
54storeys
€2Min savings
Light structure, solid savings
Złota 44 was constructed on the small plot of a demolished retail centre in the heart of Warsaw. The tower’s façade consists of 4000 unique elements made of triple-glazed glass units. To minimise disruption in the city centre during construction, façade elements were made in a workshop and delivered to the site.
With each floor of a unique geometry, the design posed a significant challenge for structural engineers. Following traditional design methods, a foundation based on 120 large-diameter piles was needed for such a tall, complex building. Arup’s team of engineers used 3D analysis to run different options and create a more cost and time efficient solution with a foundation based on just 42 piles. This solution allowed for 2m euros in savings.
Embracing sustainable development, Arup’s technical solutions minimised the impact of the building construction on the environment, such as the reuse of the existing underground structure from the retail centre into the new foundation, which allowed for a reduction of the building’s embodied carbon footprint.
“Arup’s professional experience and commitment was instrumental within the planning and building process of this ambitious project.
” Matthias Reese Architect, Daniel Libeskind AG
A breath of fresh air under the clouds
In a break from the standard design applied to skyscrapers Zlota allows homeowners and tenants to manually open windows and manage the flow of air as well as the thermal comfort.
Arup’s team conducted an in-depth wind analysis to confirm that opening windows would be safe, allowing residents to balance comfort with safety. Our engineers designed an automated safety system which doesn’t allow windows to open, and immediately closes them, if it’s too cold, windy or in case of heavy rains.
HVAC design maximises living space
Maximising residential space was key for the investor, so our team designed a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system that would not require a dedicated technical floor, usually needed in such large buildings, to allow for an additional floor of apartments of approximately 800 m2.
As apartments vary from the 400-square-metre, three-floor penthouse to compact bedsits, an additional challenge for HVAC designers was the distinct layout of each floor. With kitchens and bathrooms in different places, the installations had to ensure acoustic comfort, so that occupants in one floor should not hear the water flowing from a kitchen above when sitting in the downstairs living room.
An energy-efficient building
Arup implemented a roster of sustainability measures to optimise the use of energy throughout the building’s lifetime. Some of the solutions include an efficient heat recovery system embedded in the ventilation and air side economisers for large air handling units. The building also reuses the heat waste from the chillers to provide heating for the swimming pool area and saves water through low-flow showerheads and water saving taps.
Smart solutions, such as turning on the heating remotely, are now common features of modern homes. In 2013, when Złota 44 was under construction such solutions were still new. Złota 44 was the first residential building in Poland to install a home management system (HMS) to let residents close the blinds on a summer day while being at work. The HMS also controls all heating and air conditioning systems as well as the lighting and kitchen hood systems.
Learn more about how we design climate-ready buildings that offer better quality of life for communities and value for property developers.
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