Nova Marina Gdynia sets sail. Cornerstone laid in Gdynia's centenary year

On Gdynia's South Pier, in the heart of the city's waterfront, the cornerstone has been laid for Nova Marina Gdynia – a mixed-use complex set to become a new home for Polish sailing. In the year Gdynia marks its centenary, work has begun on a development that will combine sport, training and public space with facilities for the city's yacht clubs, boat hangars and units overlooking the harbour. The project is led by Atlas Ward Group as strategic investor and general contractor, and is intended to become one of Poland's most important marinas.

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19 june 2026   |   08:31   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

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On Thursday 18 June 2026, a ceremony long awaited by the sailing community took place on the Gdynia waterfront. The laying of the cornerstone symbolically opened the main construction phase of a mixed-use complex set to transform this part of the city and give Polish sailing a headquarters worthy of the name.

It is no coincidence that the start of construction coincides with the year Gdynia celebrates the centenary of its city rights. The design deliberately draws on the city's modernist heritage, pairing contemporary architecture with what matters most to Gdynia – the sea.

A home for sailors, a space for residents

Nova Marina Gdynia is rising on a site bound up with sailing and sports clubs for generations – by the South Pier (Molo Południowe), beside the yacht harbour and within sight of the tall ship Dar Pomorza, the Maritime University and the Musical Theatre. The investment is built around the needs of clubs, youth training and the staging of international events.

The complex will house facilities for Gdynia's yacht clubs – boat hangars, club premises and an underground car park – alongside apartments and units overlooking the port and marina. Across roughly 20,000 m² of usable space and some 247 units, the commercial component is intended to fund and sustain the heart of the scheme: its sailing function.

The architectural concept is the work of PIG Architekci, selected through a closed competition to which five leading Polish studios were invited. The entire design process was conducted in close cooperation with the Municipal Conservator of Monuments, so that the modern form sits harmoniously within the historic, modernist character of Gdynia's seafront.

"A place for future generations of sailors"

The ceremony brought together representatives of the investor, project partners, the sailing community and local government. The city was represented by the Chair of Gdynia City Council, Tadeusz Szemiot, the Managing Director for Culture and Resident Engagement, Mariusz Bzdęga, and city councillor and Chair of the Sport, Tourism and Recreation Committee, Teresa Bysewska. The academic community was also present, including the Rector of the Maritime University in Gdynia, Prof. Adam Weintrit.

Tadeusz Szemiot stressed that Nova Marina Gdynia fits the city's maritime identity and its long ties with sailing. He spoke of a place created for future generations of sailors – one that will strengthen Gdynia's sporting potential while opening an attractive, public space for residents – and welcomed the fact that such an important project is beginning in the centenary year.

As a symbolic act, the Council Chair signed an act of foundation, which was placed in a time capsule.

A strengthened ownership structure

The general contractor and strategic investor is Atlas Ward Group. Under the arrangement agreed in 2026, a company within the group took a 60% stake in the project vehicle, with Ghelamco retaining 20% and the Polish Sailing Association (PZŻ) holding the remaining 20%. The model combines Ghelamco's experience in complex real-estate projects with Atlas Ward's general-contracting capabilities, and has reinforced the stability of a scheme now entering its decisive phase.

Atlas Ward Group's President, Mariusz Górecki, spoke of a project that goes beyond the standard definition of an investment. He recalled that Gdynia was built on courage, vision and consistency – the qualities that a century ago let its founders look beyond the shoreline and turn a sandy coast into Poland's window on the world. Building and sailing, he noted, share a similar responsibility: the courage to set a course and the consistency to hold it, even against the wind.

The project is delivered in cooperation with NMG S.A., the Polish Sailing Association and business and sporting partners, with the aim of developing Gdynia's sailing potential and creating conditions for clubs and young athletes to grow.

A flagship for Polish sailing

For the sailing world, the investment carries particular weight. Dr Tomasz Chamera, Vice-President of World Sailing and Vice-Chair of NMG S.A., makes no secret that Nova Marina is meant to become a new showcase for the city and for Polish sailing – a fine home for Gdynia's clubs, with the infrastructure and scale to operate internationally. He described it as a harbour for everyone with the wind and the sea in their heart.

That ambition fits Gdynia's standing as the natural capital of Polish sailing – a city that has hosted national and international championships for years and is increasingly mentioned in an Olympic context. From the outset, the project timetable has been tied to preparing the city for the most important sailing events of the decade.

Once complete, Nova Marina Gdynia is set to become one of the most important sailing locations in Poland. The new infrastructure will serve clubs, athletes, event organisers and residents alike, reinforcing Gdynia's position as a city inseparably bound to the sea and water sports.

In the year Gdynia marks its centenary, the cornerstone of Nova Marina is more than the start of a build. It is the promise of a new chapter in the city's maritime story – written, as it was a century ago, with courage and with an eye to those who will come after.

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