Panattoni Europe has built a facility for Amazon in Gliwice of record-breaking size and functionality. The project, featuring in excess of 210,000 sqm and four storeys, is the company’s largest building in the country and has been fitted out with advanced Amazon Robotics technology.
The investment in Gliwice is Panattoni’s eighth project developed for Amazon. Delivered in the BTS formula, it is 317 m long, 182 m wide and 26.7 m high. Apart from its vast capacity – 210,000 sqm (including 7,500 sqm of office space) – the building also boasts 4 functional storeys fitted with cutting-edge solutions. They are extremely useful when serving the fast-growing e-commerce market. Amazon Robotics technologies, employing 3,900 transport robots, assist in storing products on shelves and order picking operations. Such an approach not only significantly contributes to maximising warehouse capacity, but also helps cut down shipping lead times. The Gliwice facility will be the largest building of Amazon in Poland using this technology.
“Poland was the first country in Europe where Amazon Robotics was rolled out in September 2015. By implementing such solutions, we demonstrate our commitment to promoting innovation in logistics, to the benefit of both our workers and customers alike,” says Steven Harman, Vice President for Continental Europe Operations at Amazon.
The building developed by Panattoni has been provided with an intelligent building management system (BMS) and motion sensors in different zones. The strong points of the facility are not limited to its size and range of functionalities, but also include compliance with the most stringent environmental standards. The building has undergone the environmental certification process using the BREEAM methodology, obtaining a Very Good rating. The green technologies which were taken into consideration in the certification process include systems minimising water consumption and LED lighting.
The facility developed by Panattoni for Amazon will serve as an e-commerce logistics centre for the entire European market. It will fulfil customer orders for small and medium-sized items – such as books, electronics or everyday items. The investment will also create 1000 jobs.
