Over the past few years, Poznan has become famous for its modern commercial centres which, apart from meeting the basic consumption demand, fulfil a variety of municipal and cultural functions. Of all the modern multifunction malls in Poznan, Stary Browar (Old Brewery) is the most reputed one. It is one of the few Polish shopping centres based on upgrading and modernising rundown factory buildings and putting them to new use. Stary Browar (Old Brewery) was originally Hugger Brewery dating back to 1876. Then, it was changed into carbonated water facility. Since 2003 it has been known as the Stary Browar Business and Arts Centre. It is a unique site as commerce and art are perfectly combined.

The whole complex consists of a few parts. The commercial one - the Stary Browar Sklep (Old Brewery Shopping Precinct), covering the area of over 22,000 square metres, is located in two buildings. The central edifice on the corner of Polwiejska and Kosciuszki Streets and the other one – at 32 Polwiejska Street. There is also a car park for the Stary Browar customers. Close to the Stary Browar Sklep there is the Dziedziniec Sztuki (the Art Courtyard). It is the cultural centre of the whole complex. Its aim is to promote a wide variety of cultural events in fields like: music, film, sculpture, theatre, fine arts, dance and literature. There are a lot of artistic events to choose from, e.g. the best world avant-garde and experimental film shows, experimental improvised music concerts, young international avant-garde theatre performances, performative art shows, modern art exhibitions.

The Old Brewery is situated in Polwiejska Street along the city's main shopping street. Thus, it is daily visited by the average of 30,000 people. Since its launch in 2003 the Old Brewery has become one of major cultural and artistic centres in Poland. Its total area is about 130,000 square metres. In March 2007 the 2nd phase of building the Stary Browar was completed. The Stary Browar has been expanded by adding new shops, offices, a multi-cinema complex, a car park. In recognition for its architectural value, the Old Brewery has been granted a few awards. The most important ones include: International Council of Shopping Centres Award for the Best Mid-Sized Shopping Centre in the World, the ARCHIZINC Trophy Special Prize (Tradition Category), the 2004 Jan Baptysta Quadro Municipal Award for the Best Architectural Design.