Workplace adaptation to hybrid working, sustainability and inclusion are some of the biggest office trends and buzzwords at the moment. The implementation of these elements in a new office is, however, a challenge, especially in the current macroeconomic situation. Employers want to bring employees back to the office, while optimising rising costs. According to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest report, medium-quality fit-outs in Warsaw are priced at an average all-in rate of €1,250 per square metre – almost the same as in Prague or Budapest but half of what average fit-out costs are in London and Hamburg.

The WING Liget Center multi-building development will involve not only the reconstruction of two buildings listed as historic monuments – serving as the main offices for TV channel RTL – but a brand-new boutique office building named Liget Center Vitrum will also be completed in the autumn. Construction is proceeding on schedule, and the Vitrum building is now structurally complete. Vitrum is a nearly zero energy building and will offer a total of 2,200 square metres of leasable office space over six floors. The building will be handed over in its shell and core stage in autumn 2024.

Volvo Tech Hub will occupy 10,000 sqm of space at Brain Park C. A new section of Volvo Car Poland will be moving into the Kraków office building, from Echo Investment, in three phases, starting in September 2024. In the transaction, the tenant was represented by JLL Polska. In addition, JLL's PDS department also provided support for the project.

Spaces leased by private medical operators now represent about 2.5% of the total modern office space available in Bucharest, with most of the players occupying buildings in Bucharest’s main office hub based in northern Bucharest, according to an iO Partners report.

Atenor announced that the first phase of its BakerStreet project in Budapest has successfully obtained its occupancy permit. This Class A+ office complex located in South Buda was planned and built according to the strictest ESG criteria. The leasing agreement for the entire building of 16,643 sqm was signed by E.ON Hungaria Group, the German energy solutions giant. Tenants are scheduled to commence occupancy starting in June.

According to the latest report published by Newmark Polska, during the first three months of 2024, Poland’s regional city office markets experienced moderate occupier demand, with regearing accounting for most of total take-up. In addition, while the overall regional vacancy rate rose to nearly 18%, development activity was more muted and focused on three cities: Katowice, Poznań and Wrocław, which contain 75% of the office stock under construction.

Regus Centerpoint will be a workspace with co-working spaces, private offices, meeting rooms and creative spaces. This opening follows a partnership agreement with GTC Hungary, who has invested in the IWG platform to create a branded flexible workspace in their building.

The Vlněna brownfield project in Brno, which was purchased in 2007 by CTP, is now entering its final phase. This year, the developer is planning to complete the first office building in this project.

According to the latest report published by Newmark Polska, the Warsaw office market is entering a period of an increased focus on the repurposing and refurbishment of office buildings. As office availability in central Warsaw declined in the first quarter of 2024, occupiers’ interest shifted towards non-central locations. Development activity remained stable but relatively weak, with a significant concentration of new office projects in central zones, which accounted for nearly 90% of the total office stock under construction.

Already 64% of Warsaw’s office buildings offer at least one retail or service unit, reveals Cushman & Wakefield. With new retail supply remaining low across Warsaw, retailers and service providers are increasingly looking for alternative locations. In addition, recent years have seen a significant shift in user preferences regarding the use of office space and types of services available in office buildings.