Eiffage is not a classic development company, of which many operate on the Polish market today. It is a huge European group with four pillars of activity: infrastructure, construction, energy and concessions. Two of them operate in Poland today: real estate and general contracting. This synergy is not accidental – it allows us to implement projects in a model that the Group has known for decades.
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— As a developer, we are interested in both classic residential buildings and the PRS, PBSA, hotels and offices in the build-to-suit sector. In turn, as a general contractor, we also implement projects for external clients – in housing, offices, industry and even the military sector – emphasizes Nowosielski.
This dual nature of the business gives the company greater control over the investment – from design to handing over the keys. Today, in times of difficult budgets, this is an advantage that is difficult to overestimate.
From Posnania to Frontex. Projects that set the bar
The list of Eiffage projects in Poland shows that the company is not afraid of challenges. The most famous investment of the last decade was undoubtedly Posnania – one of the largest shopping centers in Europe at the time of opening. Then came Angel Wawel in Krakow, i.e. the revitalization of the 16th-century former monastery complex in the city center.
New investment in Poznań, at ul. Gajowa 1, on the site of the former tram depot
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Eiffage Immobilier Polska
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2024 and 2025 bring new milestones. One of them is the PRS project at ul. Postępu in Warsaw's Służewiec, implemented for the LifeSpot platform. The second – victory in the competition for the new headquarters of Frontex, which will be built in the design & build formula.
– This is an extremely important project for us, both in terms of business and prestige – admits Nowosielski.
On the scale of the entire Group, the list is even more impressive: from the modernization of the Paris metro, through the renovation of Notre-Dame, to the construction of passive office buildings in Brussels and nuclear reactors in Normandy.
Cost pressure continues. “Work is the most expensive today”
After the inflation boom of 2022–2023, the construction materials market is starting to stabilize. But this does not mean the end of the problems.
PRS project at ul. Postępu in Warsaw's Służewiec, implemented for the LifeSpot platform
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Eiffage Immobilier Polska
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— In 2025, the growth rate of material prices is clearly slowing down. However, the biggest pressure factor remains labor costs, says the president of Eiffage Immobilier Polska.
Shortages of qualified workers, rising wages and economic migration mean that the construction industry pays more and more, which directly translates into construction prices.
The answer is to be purchasing on a Group scale, careful design in BIM and technological optimization. But – as Nowosielski admits – it is impossible to completely isolate yourself from the realities of the labor market.
Tricity, Poznań and the old depot. New Eiffage investments
Eiffage consistently develops its operations in four cities: Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Poznań. Now Tricity is on the radar – most likely with a large-scale PRS project.
However, a new investment in Poznań, at ul., looks particularly interesting. Gajowa 1, on the site of the former tram depot.
The plans include two new residential buildings with approximately 230 apartments, as well as the revitalization of the depot hall, the Villa and the so-called White House. The historic hall will feature over 5,340 square meters of service space with restaurants, boutiques and a food hall in the style of Warsaw's Koszyki.
– This is a true mixed-use project, based on an urban function, not just a residential one – emphasizes Nowosielski.
Ecology? Yes, but the market has not matured yet
Although Eiffage is considered one of the leaders in low-emission construction in Europe, the green transformation in Poland is still progressing slower.
— Only selected investors are currently really interested in low-emission certification. The market has not matured yet, but we know that these changes will come anyway, says the company's president.
The company is already preparing for this: it has developed its own building carbon footprint calculators, trains employees and participates in the work of organizations setting BIM standards.
However, in the background there remains the structural problem of the Polish coal-based energy sector, which makes it difficult to achieve zero-emission parameters of buildings.
“There is no stagnation, there is professionalization”
What does the real estate market look like today? Contrary to pessimistic scenarios, Nowosielski is neither talking about recession nor stagnation.
— The key word for me is not slowing down, but professionalization. Customers – both individual and institutional – will become more and more demanding. And very good – he emphasizes.
In his opinion, migration to cities, an increase in the number of single-person households and lifestyle changes will drive demand for apartments, but also for multi-functional projects and institutional rentals.
Financing? There are no traffic jams here either. Thanks to the resources of the entire Eiffage Group, the company in Poland has constant access to capital, and banks are willing to finance well-prepared, high-end housing projects.
BIM, prefabrication and digital construction
Digitization is no longer a buzzword – it has become a tool in the fight for margin.
Eiffage uses platforms such as ACC and Dalux to manage construction sites in real time. BIM has ceased to be an add-on and has become a standard. Prefabrication is also playing an increasingly important role.
— Prefabrication allows you to shorten the implementation time, reduce delivery risks and reduce dependence on individual contractors, explains Nowosielski.
In times of wage pressure, technology is expected to take over some of the work that is missing on the market.
City-creativity instead of “quick sales”
The most interesting thread of the conversation appears at the end – the vision of the developer's role in the city.
— It's not always about selling something quickly and at any price. We think city-formingly – says the president of Eiffage Immobilier Polska.
In practice, this means, among others: readiness to cooperate with local governments in the construction of apartments with varying rents. In France, the “premises for land” model has been operating for years, in which a private investor builds some public housing in exchange for preferential conditions for commercial development.
This is still new in Poland, although – as Nowosielski admits – talks with some cities are already underway. A test example was cooperation with the SWPS university at ul. Chodakowska in Warsaw: in exchange for land for apartments, Eiffage built a dormitory for students.
— We are ready for similar projects with local governments. We know that some cities are preparing for this, he announces.
Eiffage does not promise a revolution overnight. Rather, it focuses on the long game: technology, quality and cooperation with the public sector. At a time when the real estate market is increasingly divided into “quick” projects and those that are to stay with the city for decades, this strategy may turn out to be one of the most resistant to economic turmoil.
