Case study: Elektrownia Powiśle | Industrial style with a modern twist
Scope: Personalized finishes, wayfinding
Elektrownia Powiśle is one of the most recognizable revitalization projects in Poland, opened in Warsaw in 2020. The former industrial facility has been transformed into a modern mixed-use space combining office, retail, and gastronomic functions.
ADVERTIS was selected to design and implement a comprehensive wayfinding system for the main building of Elektrownia, as well as the office section. ADVERTIS was also responsible for personalized finishes that were to blend harmoniously with the industrial character of the facility while meeting the highest standards of functionality.
Client Context
The development by investors Tristan Capital Partners and White Star Real Estate included the historic buildings of the former combined heat-and-power plant, which have been transformed into a multifunctional and impressive urban living space. The architectural design was developed by APA Wojciechowski Architekci, whose concept focused on respecting the historical identity of the building, preserving its characteristic industrial elements and authentic materials.
It is no coincidence that Elektrownia was a finalist in the MIPIM Awards 2024 in the Best Urban Regeneration Project category. It was the only investment from Poland and the entire CEE region to be recognized in this edition, confirming that the quality of the architecture and details has also been appreciated internationally.
Process
At the conceptual stage, three variants of wayfinding moodboards were created. Each of them was based on an industrial character and was intended to be an organic part of the space – to “speak the same language” as the architecture.
The key moment happened during the presentation – instead of showing the project only on the screen, the prototype was moved directly into the space of the facility:
„We were not willing to settle for a computer presentation, so we gathered over 10 people from the conference room, put on helmets and vests, while work was going on around us, and showed our prototype on the intended wall in the facility. I think that was the deciding factor in us being chosen not only to prepare the visual information system design for the entire building, but also for its production and installation.”
– Paweł Gardasiewicz, CEO ADVERTIS,
in an interview for Builder Polska, 2021, p. 99
For this project, ADVERTIS delivered:
– Toilets with copper accents – hammered copper walls, a wall with illuminated copper-finished mirrors, and industrial doors covered with black steel,
– Display cases with historic Elektrownia plaques,
– Design and implementation of a comprehensive wayfinding system – large-sized, suspended illuminated boards (made of steel, with decorative grid and with the possibility of changing the content), signs for staircases and toilets, semaphores, copper pictograms, illuminated navigation maps, entrance pylons to the facility, building and floor signs, as well as tenant boards.
Challenges
The project required combining technical requirements with respect for the historical character of Elektrownia. The scale and diversity of the elements meant that each stage was a separate challenge – from designing details, pictograms, and color selection to developing and installing large steel boards with replaceable content. Their weight and dimensions required the use of special technological and installation solutions to ensure that they were not only visually appealing but also safe to use.
Equally high precision was required for the neon-illuminated staircase signs, whose colors and intensity can be controlled – a solution rarely seen in public buildings, yet one that emphasizes the industrial aesthetics of the space.
An additional difficulty was working with materials that require specialized processing — steel, copper, and glass — which had to look natural while remaining durable. The construction of a wall made of hammered copper proved to be a particularly demanding task. In order to achieve the characteristic bumps resembling flowing water, numerous technological trials and material strength tests were necessary. The steel, which arrived from the steelworks in a light gray color with natural discoloration, had to be darkened and protected in such a way that it resembled the original, historic doors of Elektrownia, with their characteristic layers of patina.
Effects
The result is a space where architecture, history, and elements created by ADVERTIS merge and complement each other. Wayfinding and details are not an addition — they are a natural part of the composition.
Thanks to the technologies developed, the materials that were used emphasize the raw, industrial character of the building, while maintaining durability in a heavily used public space.
Elektrownia Powiśle is further proof of ADVERTIS’s competence in implementing complex projects that require both technological precision and design sensitivity.
