When plans for the new Elektrownia Powiśle all-in-one complex were announced a few years ago, we hoped this wouldn't be another copy+paste effort. When it finally opened in May 2020 after a COVID-19 delay, we can only say we were impressed. The exterior, as impressive as it looks, doesn't look all too big, which is the first surprise you receive once you go inside - it's much bigger than you'd ever expect! So what's here? Imagine this as a multifunctional centre, including sooped up shops completely new to Poland (nay, in Central and Eastern Europe even!) such as Urban Outfitters, Marc O’Polo Denim and Converse (to name a few), plenty more boutiques, beauty salons, a top floor event space, as well as 13 'gastronomic concepts' in their street food market and restaurants, and also 3 bars: Kandela, Centrala and Elektryk! You can shop until you drop, then pick yourself up with some great food, all the while being delighted with the look and feel of the place too.

It's all fairly exciting stuff, but it's time for a bit of a history lesson to allow you to appreciate the site's past, and concept of the present and future! Ooh. Elektrownia Powiśle has been around since 1904, its original role being a power station. Things plodded along swimmingly until World War 2 when the station saw heavy fighting during the Warsaw Uprising between local insurgents and the Germans due to its strategic advantage (check out the intact machine gun post on the corner of ul. Leszczynska and Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie). During the Communist era, the power station even had a special unit (which you can see today) that helped power the Palace of Culture and Science. And so this all lasted until 2001 when the power station was closed, laying empty for years before receiving its new lease of life...

What you can experience in Elektrownia Powiśle today has taken 4 years to come to fruition, with original power station elements visible throughout the modernisation. Anyone that loves old post-industrial sites will love the original architectural features on display, but that, of course, is not the sole reason to visit. Remember, the entire site is not yet complete, with luxury apartments and a boutique hotel still being constructed, but it's quite clear Elektrownia has already become the epicentre of cool in the Powiśle district. We wholly recommend visiting and likewise keeping an eye on any upcoming events via their Facebook profile.