Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Dekpol Budownictwo has been appointed general contractor for the redevelopment of the Poznań Palm House, with the City of Poznań investing more than PLN 196 million gross in the modernisation of one of the city’s best-known public attractions. The contract for the project was formally signed on 17 August 2026.
The programme will involve the reconstruction and expansion of a complex covering more than 10,000 sqm. The investment is being supported by funding from Poland’s National Recovery Plan and is intended to bring the historic facility in line with current technical requirements while improving conditions for its botanical and zoological collections.
A significant part of the work will focus on the building envelope and technical infrastructure. Glazing across the pavilion façades and roofs will be replaced, with the new solutions designed to improve natural light while reducing the amount of energy required to operate the facility. Heating and other infrastructure will also be modernised, while automated systems will manage ventilation, shading and lighting.
The redevelopment will also substantially expand the aquarium component of the attraction. A new building will contain two large aquariums with capacity for almost 1,000 cubic metres of water. One will incorporate a glazed tunnel allowing visitors to pass through the aquarium environment. The main entrance will also be reconstructed, while the existing café is scheduled for demolition and replacement.
The investment extends beyond the buildings themselves. Landscaping around the Palm House will be renewed, including measures intended to improve rainwater retention through planting and more permeable ground surfaces. Accessibility across the complex will also be improved for visitors with disabilities, while the design must take account of the protected status of the property and its surroundings.
Poznań mayor Jacek Jaśkowiak said the condition of the Palm House had made reconstruction necessary after decades of operation. The objective is to preserve the historical importance of the attraction while providing better conditions for its plant collection and adapting the complex to contemporary standards.
For Dekpol Budownictwo, the contract adds another public-sector project to its portfolio in Poznań. Mariusz Niewiadomski, president of Dekpol Budownictwo, highlighted the additional requirements associated with carrying out construction work around a valuable botanical collection and within the historic environment of Wilson Park.
The Poznań Palm House has operated since 1911 and is among Europe’s older botanical exhibition facilities. Its ten pavilions contain approximately 17,000 plants representing around 1,100 species, alongside collections of exotic reptiles, amphibians and birds. The complex has also housed a public aquarium since 1922, with the current collection comprising 170 fish species displayed across 37 tanks.
The property underwent its last major reconstruction during the 1980s and reopened to visitors in 1992. The Palm House has been entered in the register of historic monuments since 1980, meaning the organisation of construction works and related documentation for the latest redevelopment must be coordinated with the municipal heritage conservation authorities.
The project combines a major public construction contract with the refurbishment of a protected historical asset. Rather than simply expanding the attraction, the programme is focused on replacing ageing infrastructure, reducing energy requirements, improving accessibility and creating better environmental conditions for collections that have developed at the site over more than a century.
