Shopping, Arts and Business Center "Stary Browar" is the center of commerce and art, built in November 2003, located in the center of Poznań, Poland at 42 Półwiejska Street.The center is a combination of retail space and an art gallery. The shopping center is adjacent to a Class A high-rise office complex. The total area of the center is around 130 000 m2. The Old Brewery is home to around 210 stores and restaurants. Underground the building there is a Tier III data center operated by Beyond.pl.[1] The building was designed on the basis of a historic factory - the former Brewery Huggerów - by Studio ADS. The investor was Fortis, a company owned by Grazyna Kulczyk. Since 2015 it belongs to Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, which current name is Deutsche Asset Management.[2] The décor was designed by stage designer Ryszard Kaja.[3] It is notable for preserving the original architecture and style.[4]
Grażyna Kulczyk's effort to build the Museum of Contemporary and Performance Arts at Stary Browar was rejected.[5] [6]
The new wing of the Old Brewery, similar size to the already existing portion opened March 11, 2007. The new wing has six storeys including three underground levels. A parking lot for 1200 cars was built under the building. The courtyard between the two parts of the Old Brewery was enclosed, so that is also used in the winter.
In March 2008 the district court found the Mayor of Poznań Ryszard Grobelny guilty of causing the city budget to lose over PLN 7 million[8] as a result of the sale of the Old Brewery property. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office the site was worth more than PLN 13 million.[8] Officials subject to the President sold the parcel of land as a park without registering it as a shopping center development. A sentence has been waived by the Court of Appeal on November 27, 2008.[9] Tadeusz Dziuba, Wielkopolska governor, argued that the new wing of the Old Brewery was built in breach of contract.[10]