The French Institute in Poland is moving its Warsaw headquarters to the former Bellona Publishing House, a historic building that is part of the modern The Bridge office complex developed by Ghelamco in the business center of the capital.
CBRE advised the French Institute, which has operated in Poland for over 100 years, in the selection of its new headquarters and leasing process.
The French Institute has concluded a lease agreement with Ghelamco for 1,300 square meters of office space in The Bridge. The ceremonial signing of the agreement by the French Ambassador was attended by representatives of the French Institute, Ghelamco, and CBRE.
Starting in September of 2026, the institute will be located in the historic building of the former Bellona Publishing House, which was built in the 1950s in Warsaw’s Wola district, which at the time was an industrial part of the city, but today is one of Warsaw’s busiest business districts, with modern skyscrapers nestled among relics of the district’s industrial past.
The French Institute in Poland is a French state cultural institution that was established in 1925. Headquartered in both Warsaw and Krakow, it promotes French culture in Poland and develops bilateral cooperation. It is part of a network of 98 French Institutes around the world, strengthened by 830 Alliances Françaises institutions, including eight in Poland. It is also a leading French-language teaching center, with a team of 30 qualified teachers.
“As the French Institute in Poland prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, its relocation to a new, iconic, and modern building, more accessible and better adapted, marks a new chapter in its history,” said Etienne de Poncins, Ambassador of France to Poland. “This move, in September 2026, will provide the opportunity to offer services even more focused on students, French teachers and readers of the multimedia library, dedicated to promoting French language and culture in Poland.”
“It is a great pleasure and honor for us to welcome such a distinguished institution to the group of Ghelamco tenants,” said Piotr Kaleta, Director of the Leasing Department at Ghelamco Poland. “Plac Europejski, beloved by Warsaw residents, which is the setting for many cultural events, as well as the historic walls of the building that once served as the headquarters of a publishing house specializing in historical literature, is an ideal address for an institution with such a mission and character as the French Institute. The Bridge opens up to the future and the city – it uses the most modern technological and ecological solutions and has direct access to the high-quality public space that we have created in this part of Wola. This location also means huge reserves of human capital concentrated around Rondo Daszyńskiego – the business heart of the Polish capital. Now the French Institute will be able to use this great potential, while offering its employees and guests the highest office standards.”
“From the beginning of its presence in Poland, the French Institute has been located in unique locations,” said Aleksandra Chojnacka, Associate Director at CBRE. “Our priority when choosing a new space was, on the one hand, the location, but an equally important aspect was also the character of the place itself. The historic Bellona building, which is part of the modern The Bridge complex, perfectly matched these expectations. The unique combination of the historical character of the former printing house with modern architecture has a unique character on a Warsaw scale and is consistent with the DNA of the organization. At the same time, it is a building that has undergone a major metamorphosis, meeting the highest ecological standards and being an ideal example of preserving tradition in a modern version.”
