KTW (Katowice)

The second tower, KTW II, rises 134 metres (440 ft) and was finished in 2022; it is the tallest building in Katowice and in the Upper Silesia region.

As part of Katowice's Culture Zone (Strefa Kultury), the complex lies near the Spodek arena, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the International Congress Centre.

TDJ Estate developed the complex, while Przemo Łukasik and Łukasz Zagała from Medusa Group were in charge of the architectural concept.

The building, DOKP (officially Budynek Dyrekcji Kolei Państwowych w Katowicach), was the tallest in Katowice at the time of its commissioning.

Together with Hines Poland, they planned a thorough reconstruction and extension of the DOKP and the construction of a second office building with 32 storeys and a height of about 125 metres (410 ft) right next to it.

[4] On 13 March 2014, permission was obtained to demolish the building and, on 16 December 2014, preparatory work for the demolition of this part of the high-rise began in the one-story DOKP pavilion.

[5] In November 2014, information appeared that two skyscrapers with a height of 115 and 50 metres (377 and 164 ft) were to be built in the place of the DOKP, and the architecture firm Medusa Group would be responsible for the project.

To design the complex, TDJ Estate invited several architectural studios to a closed competition, in which the concept of the Medusa Group was selected for implementation.

By then, earthworks, foundation slabs and diaphragm walls had been completed, and advanced work was underway on underground levels.

[9] In April 2019, TDJ Estate selected the company Gleeds to be responsible for the management and supervision of the second stage of the KTW complex.

[11] At the turn of February and March 2021, the roof of KTW II was topped out, becoming the tallest building in both Katowice and in the Upper Silesia region.

Warsaw-based Studio Profil was responsible for the facade design of the buildings, while the construction was held by the Firma Inżynierska STATYK from Katowice and the installations by CE Group from Gliwice.

[20] The windows of the office buildings are 135 cm (53 in) wide and separated by dark vertical stripes made of precast concrete elements with grooves.

[21] In July 2021, the tenants of the KTW I building were the following companies: Fujitsu, Bank Handlowy, Ernst & Young, mBank, Gastromall Group, Teleperformance Poland and Świat Prasy.

The former DOKP building in August 2012
DOKP building under demolition in July 2015
Construction site of KTW after the demolition of the DOKP, April 2016
Construction of KTW I in November 2017
KTW II in its initial stage of construction, March 2020
KTW complex in November 2020
Fragment of KTW I as seen from the southwest
KTW in June 2023