Fort VII of the Warsaw Fortress

Fort VII "Zbarż" is one of the forts of the outer ring of the Warsaw Fortress, located in the Włochy district, within the Zbarż housing estate, covering an area of 29.7 hectares. Built between 1883 and 1908, the fort takes the form of a single-rampart pentagon surrounded by a moat. As part of Warsaw's defense system, the fort played an important military role for many years. Following the decommissioning of the fortress after 1909, the fort was partially dismantled, and during its modernization, a unique concrete counterscarp caponier was constructed—the ruins of which are still visible today. The neck barracks have also been preserved. During World War II, the fort suffered further degradation, including the flooding of its moat and courtyard due to a drainage system failure. After the war, the site was used by the military until 1999. For many years, the fort remained in a state of ruin, and its surroundings were developed into allotment gardens. In 2019, the fort's area was purchased by the company Atenor Poland, which plans to develop an office and hotel project there, with JEMS Architekci responsible for the design. An interesting fact is that the construction of the S79 expressway affected the structural condition of the fort, and its history serves as an example of the adaptation and repurposing of military structures in the context of contemporary Warsaw's urban development.