Construction commenced on GTC Hungary’s latest office development project. GTC White House is going to have a GLA of 21,500 sqm and is expected to be completed by end-2017. Concurrently, GTC Hungary will carry out a full interior refurbishment and technical reconstruction at Duna Tower Office.
GTC White House’s building permit came into effect on July 15, 2016. Swietelsky Hungary was named as the contractor for the deep foundation and basement works for the project, and GTC appointed international real estate agencies Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) and CBRE to serve as joint exclusive letting agents for the building.
GTC White House’s design incorporates and renovates the 100-year-old building of a former elevator factory (Schlick Felvonógyár) to create a modern office space of approximately 2,000 sqm in a unique working environment. The preserved historic building will be integrated into the whole of the new 21,500 sqm Class A office complex, which will be built to a LEED Gold environmental standard. Each floor will offer 2880 sqm of office space. A few minutes from two metro stations and tram line No. 1, GTC White House will have underground parking for 299 vehicles, over 150 bicycle stands, and shower suites.
GTC White House enters a reviving Budapest office market. Overall market vacancy rate currently stands at 10.3% from the low point of 22% in 2012. Following the 2008 downturn, construction of new office buildings in Budapest came to a halt (in 2009, 300,000 sqm was inaugurated, but dropped to practically zero in 2012-2013). Evidence of the new, positive trend is the approximately 80,000 sqm that will be made available in the capital this year, representing a growth of 42% over Q1 of last year.
GTC White House
Duna Tower Office, which was purchased by GTC in one of the biggest single asset office building acquisitions of 2015, will also be renewed. The interior refurbishing of 3,000 sqm of community areas and the full technical reconstruction of Budapest’s highest office building started in July. The remodeling of the 16-storey tall building, which offers a total of 31,500 sqm gross leasable area, is scheduled to finish in mid-October.
KÖZTI Architects & Engineers won the tender to recreate the lobby and to refurbish the cafe, the cafeteria, the terrace and the garden. The building’s air-conditioning system will be renewed, as will other technical installations, at a total cost of 2 million euros. To make the project as short as possible and to cause the least disturbance to tenants, work is being carried out over the summer. GTC Hungary has also launched a street food court next to the building.
Duna Tower Office (Photo: MTI / József Balaton)
With GTC White House the Hungarian subsidiary of Warsaw's Globe Trade Centre S.A. extends its entire domestic office portfolio to 140,000 sqm. GTC Hungary also owns Budapest’s tallest commercial office building - Duna Tower, Center Point - the capital’s largest office complex, GTC Metro and the Spirál Office Building.
UDH, one of Poland’s largest distributors of premium imported beers, has leased approximately 1,400 sq m of modern warehouse and office space at the Park Rysy Kraków distribution centre. The tenant, which has chosen to expand its operations in southern Poland, was once again represented by AXI IMMO.
Golden Star Estate has secured a long-term lease agreement with global technology solutions and consulting provider C&F for nearly 1,900 sqm of office space at the Konstruktorska Business Center. Following the transaction, the property, located in Warsaw’s Mokotów business district, is now almost fully leased. The Polish branch of C&F will officially relocate to the facility at the beginning of 2027.
Natland Group has committed to its long-term presence at Prague-based Rohan Business Center through a lease extension covering 2,004 sqm of office space, together with storage facilities and dedicated parking spaces, in a deal brokered by iO Partners.
New appointments
Indotek Group has announced the appointment of Diederik Bakker as Group Chief Investment Officer and Group Head of Asset Management. In his new role, the Dutch real estate investment professional will gradually assume responsibility for the company's ITAM (investment, transaction, and asset management) activities across 12 European countries, supporting the next phase of Indotek Group’s growth. His focus includes facilitating sound investment decisions across Europe and developing a group-level portfolio management strategy that combines local market knowledge with international asset management know-how.
Peakside Capital Advisors has appointed Bogi Gabrovic to advise the board and support its investment and acquisition activities in Poland. Gabrovic brings more than 25 years of CEE real estate experience to the role, having previously held senior executive positions at CTP, Golub & Company, and White Star Real Estate, where she managed transactions exceeding €2 billion.
Katarína Brydone, Jana Vlková and Vendula Maršová have been appointed as the first Equity Partners of Colliers’ Czech business. Brydone brings more than 20 years of experience in international real estate. Vlková has more than 25 years of experience in commercial real estate. Maršová, Partner and Head of Valuation and Advisory Services, brings more than 16 years of experience in real estate valuation and advisory.
FedEx has opened a new logistics centre in Košice, strengthening connections between eastern Slovakia and international markets. The facility, the company's second-largest location in Slovakia, spans nearly 1,000 sqm and features 18 loading ramps for pick-up and delivery, plus four flexible loading positions for both vans and long-haul vehicles.
EastGate 2026, taking place in Iași on 15-16 September, is a new international forum designed to connect investors, developers, financial institutions, public authorities and business leaders across Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Property Forum is delighted to announce the North-East Regional Development Agency (ADR Nord-Est) as an Institutional Partner of EastGate 2026.
Sky Office Center, an A-class office building in Warsaw's Mokotów Business District, has been sold by Hines to a private Polish investor. Avison Young's investment team acted as the seller's adviser throughout the transaction.
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