It is this last mentioned element – the new arrangement of common areas – that will soon be the hallmark of the Forum76 office building (76 Pilsudski Avenue), the first A-class office building in Lodz. It opened 14 years ago, so it’s high time for a facelift of the interiors and facade. – We realize that over this time the needs of tenants and employees have changed. Of course, the main factor of change has been the pandemic and the new, more flexible approach of employers to coming into offices,” explains Guy Speir of Forum 76. He adds: – Making the office experience itself more attractive is very important. Today it’s not a place to work, but a place to meet, exchange ideas, create together. Employers should take care of the atmosphere in the company, and it is our job as managers to prepare a friendly space that will be an enticing attraction, prompting people to leave home for the office, the expert stresses.
Therefore, the owner of the office building decided to cooperate with the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz. Initially, the cooperation assumed the design of common areas, but the cooperation is going so well that the scope will be larger. – In the first stage, we developed changes in the reception area and corridors. In the winter semester, students will take the former conference room, where they will create a friendly co-working space. Exactly the kind of space they themselves would like to work in. It’s meant to be attractive to young people who are looking for inspiring places to work. We will also lean on the appearance of the facade,” explains Dr. Eng. arch. Robert Sobanski, prof. of the university, architect and coordinator of the design team.
The cooperation with the university is an excellent example of activity that differentiates the office leasing offer. – We see that classic, even generic office interiors are no longer attractive to tenants. The trend of personalization is very common in products, in services, and is also entering other industries. We adapt to today’s needs and are open to rearranging offices according to tenants’ ideas. A modern office is one that brings joy, stimulates new ideas and is a place where you want to stay,” adds Guy Speir.
What else are prospective tenants paying attention to today? – Like never before, they are analyzing electricity contracts and checking costs. Increasingly, they are also looking at ESG strategies – sustainable development, especially in terms of caring for the environment. Other threads also count – our advantage is our excellent location and good access from every district of the city, as well as from the highway. On the subject of access to the office, we have other advantages: separate bicycle parking, and in the case of cars – a high parking ratio, which in Forum 76 is 1:60. This is an unprecedented value in office buildings in city centers, the expert stresses. This means that there is one parking space for every 60 sqm. For comparison – in the center of Warsaw this ratio can be 1:200.
Additional elements that make the office more attractive are also well appreciated. – In our case, this is certainly a green roof with a terrace open to all employees, a friendly management office team and an absolutely unique canteen, which is one of the best Indian restaurants in Lodz, namely Curry Masala,” recalls Guy Speir.
Savills is the exclusive leasing consultant for the building.
