Blue City (Warsaw)
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| Blue City | |
|---|---|
 Blue City in 2018. | |
 Interactive map of the Blue City area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Shopping centre and office complex |
| Architectural style | Postmodern architecture |
| Location | Ochota, Warsaw, Poland, 179 Jerusalem Avenue |
| Coordinates | 52°12′45.70″N 20°57′21.18″E / 52.2126944°N 20.9558833°E |
| Completed | 31 March 2004 |
| Owner | Blue City |
| Height | |
| Height | 55 m (180 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 8 |
| Floor area | 180,000 m² |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Vahap Toy |
| Website | |
| bluecity.pl | |
Blue City is a postmodernist shopping centre in Warsaw, Poland, located at 179 Jerusalem Avenue within the district of Ochota. It was opened in 2004.
The project, originally named the Reform Center, was first proposed in the late 1990s, by Sabri Bekdaş, the owner of the Reform Company. It was envisioned as a 9-storey-tall shopping centre. It was proposed to also include an amusement park themed around musician Michael Jackson. In 1997, Amnon Shiboleth, businessperson and Jackson's lawyer met with the representatives of the company, to discuss the proposition. While the idea of the theme park fell through, Shiboleth himself became interested in the investition, and bought 51% of ownership from the Reform Company. The building was designed by architect Vahap Toy. Due to issues between investors, the building remained unused for several years, and severely deteriorated over that time.[1][2] Beginning in 2003, it was renovated and remodeled, and was opened on 31 March 2004. It became the largest shopping centre in Poland at the time.[3]
In 2018, the "miniature" IKEA store was opened in the mall, having an area of 4,800 m2. It was the smallest store opened by the company worldwide, as part of the test of new business strategy, and was closed in 2021.[4][5] The same year, the Fit/One health club was opened in the mall, becoming the largest health club in Poland.[6]
