Forum Gdańsk, often shortened to Forum (Polish pronunciation:[fɔrumɡtaˈɲsk]) is a Polish shopping mall located in Gdańsk and opened in 2018.
History
The mall was built in the lands formerly occupied by the Hay and Crayfish markets.[1] The mall was originally called Forum Radunia.[2]
Design
The design of the mall is primarily modern. A channel of the Radunia flows through it, which is one of the defining traits of the mall.[3] It is a building complex, as can be seen from the outside.[4] On the upper floor, a Helioscinema occupies most of the area.[5] It is divided into three zones; each has its own design.[6]
Doubts and controversies
Originally, the mall was supposed to be a group of smaller, more scattered buildings. After a change in the building plan, great opposition against it began, calling it "ignorant of the scale and character of Śródmieście".[7]
Forum Gdańsk was planned to be opened on 16 May 2018, though the building did not have the permission to open, so it was delayed.[8] After two days of silence, on 18 May, the opening date was announced as the 25th due to a great number of people waiting for the mall to open.[9]
There was a major legal controversy surrounding the Radunia Channel and the preservation of its status as a monument. After a year-long legal battle regarding the definition of monument in Polish law, the (at this time, covered) channel was filled with water in November 2019.[10][11]
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