Stary Browar
A Poznań commerce, arts, and business center combining a shopping complex with an art gallery and cultural programming.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Stary Browar is a commerce, arts, and business center in central Poznań, Poland. Its name means “Old Brewery,” reflecting the project’s incorporation of the former Huggerów Brewery into a contemporary mixed-use destination. The center combines retail space, restaurants, cultural and artistic activity, office development, and supporting infrastructure rather than operating solely as a conventional shopping mall. The complex opened in November 2003 at 42 Półwiejska Street. It was developed by Fortis, a company owned by Polish entrepreneur and art patron Grażyna Kulczyk. Studio ADS designed the center around the historic brewery structures, while stage designer Ryszard Kaja was responsible for the interior décor. The project’s architectural approach retained elements of the industrial site and made the relationship between historic fabric, modern construction, art, and commerce central to the identity of the venue. A second wing opened on 11 March 2007. The extension was broadly comparable in scale to the original section, added six storeys, included three underground levels, and created underground parking for approximately 1,200 cars. The courtyard between the two sections was enclosed, allowing it to function as an internal space during winter. Following the expansion, the center reached approximately 130,000 square metres and accommodated around 210 shops and restaurants. Stary Browar’s offer is built around fashion, retail, dining, art exhibitions, and cultural events. Its gallery function distinguishes it from a purely commercial property: art and design are integrated into the architecture and visitor experience. Kulczyk also sought to establish a Museum of Contemporary and Performance Arts at the site, although that proposal was rejected. The center nevertheless continued to present itself as a meeting point between commerce and culture. The property received recognition from the International Council of Shopping Centers, including awards for the best shopping center in the world and the best shopping center in Europe in the medium-sized commercial buildings category. It also received a 2003 Gold Pencil in Architecture from Radio Merkury and Voice of Wielkopolska. Since 2015, Stary Browar has belonged to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, now known as Deutsche Asset Management. The complex also contains a Tier III data center operated by Beyond.pl, illustrating the broader business and infrastructure uses associated with the site. Its continuing identity rests on the adaptive reuse of industrial architecture, a substantial retail and restaurant base, and the combination of commercial activity with contemporary art and public-facing cultural programming.
History
Stary Browar was created in central Poznań as an adaptive-reuse project built around the former Huggerów Brewery. The development sought to preserve the character of the historic industrial site while introducing a modern commercial and cultural destination. Fortis, a company owned by Grażyna Kulczyk, acted as the investor. The center opened in November 2003 at 42 Półwiejska Street. The project was conceived as more than a retail facility. Its program joined shops and restaurants with an art gallery and cultural activity, and its architecture made historic brickwork, industrial references, contemporary additions, and designed public spaces part of the visitor experience. Studio ADS designed the complex, while stage designer Ryszard Kaja created its décor. This combination of heritage, design, art, and commerce became the defining feature of the Stary Browar identity. The original development quickly attracted architectural and commercial recognition. In 2003 it received the Gold Pencil in Architecture from Radio Merkury and Voice of Wielkopolska. The International Council of Shopping Centers later recognized it as the best shopping center in Europe and the best shopping center in the world in the medium-sized commercial buildings category. The global award was presented at an ICSC ceremony in Phoenix on 9 December 2005. Expansion followed with the opening of a new wing on 11 March 2007. The extension was similar in size to the existing section and provided six storeys, three underground levels, and parking for about 1,200 vehicles. The courtyard between the original and new portions was enclosed, allowing it to be used throughout the winter. With the extension, the overall complex reached approximately 130,000 square metres and housed around 210 stores and restaurants. The development also became the subject of public and political controversy. A district court in March 2008 found Poznań mayor Ryszard Grobelny guilty in relation to the sale of the property, with prosecutors arguing that the city had suffered a loss of more than PLN 7 million because the land had been sold as a park rather than recorded as a site for shopping-center development. The Court of Appeal waived the sentence on 27 November 2008. Separately, Wielkopolska governor Tadeusz Dziuba argued that the second wing had been built in breach of contract. These disputes concerned the property transaction and development arrangements rather than the center’s retail or cultural programming. Kulczyk also pursued the idea of establishing a Museum of Contemporary and Performance Arts at Stary Browar, but the proposal was rejected. Despite that setback, the venue retained a strong arts-oriented profile through its gallery function, exhibitions, cultural events, and architecture. In 2015 ownership passed to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, whose later corporate name became Deutsche Asset Management. The site additionally contains a Tier III data center operated by Beyond.pl and is adjacent to a Class A high-rise office complex. Stary Browar therefore developed from a historic brewery conversion into a mixed-use urban destination with retail, dining, cultural, office, and technical infrastructure functions.
- 2015
Ownership changes
[1]The property became part of Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, later known as Deutsche Asset Management.
- 2008
Property-sale controversy reaches the courts
[1]A district court issued a guilty finding concerning the sale of the property and alleged losses to the Poznań city budget; the Court of Appeal waived the sentence later that year.
- 2007
Second wing opens
[1]The new wing opened on 11 March, adding six storeys, underground levels, parking for approximately 1,200 cars, and an enclosed courtyard.
- 2005
International shopping-center recognition
[1]The center received International Council of Shopping Centers awards for the best shopping center in Europe and the best shopping center in the world in the medium-sized commercial buildings category.
- 2003
Stary Browar opens
[1]The commerce, arts, and business center opened in November 2003 in central Poznań on the site of the former Huggerów Brewery.
- 2003
Gold Pencil in Architecture
[1]Stary Browar received an architectural Gold Pencil from Radio Merkury and Voice of Wielkopolska.
Products and positioning
A design-led, culture-oriented urban destination that combines shopping, dining, contemporary art, adaptive industrial architecture, and business facilities.
Shopping center · 2003
Retail and restaurant complex
The principal offering is a large urban retail and dining destination with approximately 210 stores and restaurants. The complex serves everyday shopping, fashion, food, and leisure needs while using its historic brewery setting and architectural design to create a differentiated visitor environment.
Arts and culture · 2003
Art gallery and cultural program
Art exhibitions and cultural events are integrated into the center’s commercial environment. The gallery function, public spaces, and design-led presentation support Stary Browar’s positioning as a meeting place for commerce and contemporary culture rather than a conventional enclosed mall alone.
Business facilities
Business and technical infrastructure
Stary Browar forms part of a broader business-oriented urban complex adjacent to a Class A high-rise office development. A Tier III data center operated by Beyond.pl is located underground, adding technical infrastructure to the center’s retail, cultural, and visitor-facing uses.
Controversies
2008
Controversy over the sale of the property
The Poznań property transaction generated legal controversy after prosecutors argued that the parcel had been sold as a park rather than registered as a shopping-center development, causing an alleged loss of more than PLN 7 million to the city budget. A district court found mayor Ryszard Grobelny guilty in March 2008; the Court of Appeal waived the sentence on 27 November 2008.
2008
Dispute over the second-wing construction contract
Wielkopolska governor Tadeusz Dziuba claimed that construction of Stary Browar’s new wing breached the applicable contract. The available reference identifies the allegation but does not provide a further outcome.
Brand decisions
2015
Transfer ownership to Deutsche Asset & Wealth ManagementM&ABackground
After the property’s development under Fortis and Grażyna Kulczyk’s ownership, the center entered the portfolio of a major asset-management organization.
Action taken
Ownership passed to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, subsequently known as Deutsche Asset Management.
Aftermath
Stary Browar continued operating as a mixed retail, arts, business, and infrastructure complex.
2007
Build and open a second wingGeneration changeBackground
The original center was expanded to increase the scale of the retail, dining, parking, and public-space offer while retaining the relationship between the historic and new portions.
Action taken
A six-storey wing with three underground levels opened on 11 March 2007. The courtyard between the two sections was enclosed and underground parking for approximately 1,200 cars was provided.
Aftermath
The enlarged complex reached approximately 130,000 square metres and accommodated around 210 stores and restaurants.
Recent events
- 2015
Ownership transferred to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management[1]
M&A
The property became part of Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, subsequently known as Deutsche Asset Management.
- 2007
Stary Browar expansion opens[1]
Product generation
A new wing opened on 11 March 2007, adding six storeys, underground levels, parking, and an enclosed courtyard connecting the two sections.
- 2005
Stary Browar wins international shopping-center awards[1]
Other
At an International Council of Shopping Centers ceremony in Phoenix, Stary Browar was recognized as the best shopping center in the world in the medium-sized commercial buildings category. It also received an award for the best shopping center in Europe in the same category.
- 2003
Stary Browar opens in central Poznań[1]
Other
The commerce and art center opened in November 2003 in the adapted former Huggerów Brewery complex.
- 2003
Stary Browar receives architectural recognition[1]
Other
The project received the Gold Pencil in Architecture from Radio Merkury and Voice of Wielkopolska.
Sources2 sources
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