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LOOKING SHARP

ICSC HONORS EUROPEAN RETAIL PROJECTS THAT PUSH THE DESIGN ENVELOPE

By Debra Hazel

The winners are a cross section of all that Europe has to offer, representing 20 dynamic, cutting-edge shopping centers from 15 countries, from Finland to Greece, and from Portugal to Turkey. The International Council of Shopping Centers’ prestigious 2007 European Awards are a cross section of the best and brightest of their kind. They share common traits: They blend with and complement their communities, culturally, socially and economically. They reflect history while setting their own new standards. They bring new life to their cities. They rise with new emphasis on sustainability and efficiency. They use 21st Century techniques and technology to achieve their goals. And they are as meaningful in their achievements as they are successful in their operation. Keep reading for an in-depth look at each of this year’s honorees.

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New centers - medium

Winner: Dolce Vita Porto
Porto, Portugal

Amorim Imobiliaria’s 37,818-square-meter Dolce Vita Porto is a key element of the regeneration of Porto’s Antas neighborhood. It is part of a large-scale redevelopment that includes Dragon Stadium, home to Porto’s soccer team, a residential area and a four-star hotel. Led by anchor tenants Continente Hypermarket, Lusomundo Cinemas, Zara, Bertrand and Massimo Dutti — the largest Massimo Dutti store in Europe — it complements the other elements and functions as a driver of economic and social development.

Architecturally, Dolce Vita Porto is aesthetic and innovative. Its façade changes color due to unusual lighting. The interior architecture uses glass and finishing to create two distinct themes. Its functionality is enhanced by the efficient circulation of shoppers over its four floors, achieved by using two separate covered parking areas. Dolce Vita Porto embodies sustainability in many ways, including a central electronic system that controls the internal mall environment. Temperature sensors send information to a sophisticated computer system. Indeed, developer Amorim Imobiliaria has a sustainability manual that applies to all of its developments. From its technological superiority to its bold works of art to its striking façade, Dolce Vita Porto admirably succeeds.

Commendation for retail effectiveness and ambience: Ettlinger Tor Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe, Germany

Known as Germany’s “City of Law,” Karlsruhe is now famous for its shopping — the Ettlinger Tor is the biggest city shopping center in the south of Germany. It features 120 shops, a new architectural feeling and a high standard of service. At 36,340 square meters, the ECE-developed center is anchored by Media Markt, Appelrath-Cupper, Zara, H&M and K+L.

It is architecturally unique. Its cathedral-like body creates a new sensation in the sense of a simultaneous experience of all shops. The stores in the basement lie adjacent to the one-of-a-kind mall arches, set back from them on the ground floor. Ettlinger Tor also integrates the façade of the town’s former studio theater and, by extension, integrates harmoniously with the historical city’s architecture.

Sustainability was part of the center’s plan from the beginning. It is climate controlled by an outside temperature sensor. The transported heat of the shops is being reused. Natural air ventilation is accomplished by openings in the roof and the vegetation of the parking deck access. And top quality materials, from natural stone to ash wood doors, complement the architecture.

Commendation for innovation: Kanyon
Istanbul, Turkey

From a retail perspective, the 40,000-square-meter Eczacybaby Holdings center is a powerhouse, anchored by Harvey Nichols, a Macrocenter supermarket, a MAC Revolutionary health and fitness center, Mars Cinema and D&R. From a design standpoint, Kanyon’s retail mix is planned as four distinct streets on four levels, each with its own clear concept, signage, graphics and ambience. Its architecture focuses on the creation of a “place” rather than just a “building.” It is also designed for sustainability. Its open-air shopping environment has most of its walking areas covered and heated by overhead radiant panels in winter. For energy-saving purposes, static regenerators are used for heating most of the air-handling units. Chimney flue gas heat recovery systems provide additional energy savings.

New centers - very large

Winner: Dundrum Town Center
Dublin, Ireland

Dundrum Town Center aims to be Ireland’s new shopping capital. In March 2005 the first 79,000-square-meter phase of the center opened its doors, drawing more than 600,000 visitors in its first week and more than 12 million in its first year. The attraction: More than 100 international brands make up the tenant roster of this Crossridge Investments project, including over 20 retail “firsts” for Ireland, 22 restaurants and bars, a 12-screen cinema, a 220-seat theatre and a 3,400-space car park. Future phases will increase the center to 150,000 square meters as still more international names join a roster that includes House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, H&M, Zara and Massimo Dutti.

From a sustainability standpoint, the project’s systems generate heat gains in various ways, and maximum use of ambient air conditioners provides free cooling. It was created with the excavation of 300,000 cubic meters of rock to provide for the underground car parks. It stays true to the town’s history, environment and community, including redevelopment of the town’s 18th century Mill Pond as a major water and lighting feature. Its community theatre is the new home of 35 local theatre groups that previously had no permanent facilities. It is ultimately a development of national impact.

Commendation: Silesia City Centre
Katowice, Poland

At Silesia City Center, Trigranit Development Corp. has successfully transformed an unused former mining site with contaminated soil into a dynamic, 65,884-square-meter shopping center. It has brought a new quality of retail into the Silesian region, a unique tenant mix encompassing such international and national retail names as Tesco, Saturn, Royal Collection, Zara, Jeans Club, Empik, Sephora and Deichmann.

The mining past has been preserved, even honored. A 44-meter mining tower illuminated with color-changing lights is a landmark at the entry square. Two adjacent, historic red-brick buildings have been restored and now house a restaurant, art gallery, shops and a Catholic chapel. Silesia City Center’s other design features are equally stunning. Its rain forest court, for instance, features a glass dome housing a water feature with a rock formation, waterfalls, palm trees and a computerized water show. The center is also practical in its operation. Its HVAC system, for example, is based on water-to-air heat pumps that transfer heat from areas with heat gains to areas with heat losses, allowing for significant reduction of energy. Silesia City Center is ultimately successful, because of it strong community links, respect for local culture and history and credibility established by overcoming difficult problems.

Refurbishments/extensions

Winner: Europark Salzburg
Salzburg, Austria

Immediately successful when it opened in 1997, Europark Salzburg found new demand from retailers and shoppers alike. The problem: no room to expand. That changed when a piece of industrial land became available. The mission: Don’t re-invent the wheel…just make it better.

The developers gave architect Massimiliano Fusksas one requirement: Design it so the customer will find it “made in one casting.” And while the ground plan was altered to fit site requirements, the architect and developer Europark Entwicklungs-und Betriebsges has succeeded admirably in avoiding a distinction between the “old part” and the “new part.” Tried-and-true factors like design concepts and materials have been used consistently to accomplish that.

Once 30,500 square meters, Europark Salzburg is now 50,700 square meters of dynamic retailing, anchored by Interspar, H&M, Peek & Cloppenburg, Saturn and Hervis. Its architectural presentation has been solidly strengthened. Because its expansion was on an industrial site, it was the first Austrian shopping center project subjected to careful environmental scrutiny, and it passed admirably. Europark is more than just shopping — it is also the place to gather, for people of all ages.

Commendation: RioSul Shopping
Seixal, Portugal

Almost 10 years old, the Continente do Seixal Shopping Center had an old-fashioned image, an old tenant mix adapted to a hypermarket gallery and it was losing customers to newer shopping centres. Market studies indicated that visitors were loyal to the existing shopping center, but wanted a more up-to-date and diversified commercial and leisure mix. And there was indeed the potential to expand.

And the 42-store, 27,000-square-meter Continente do Seixal Shopping Center has been reborn as the 137-shop, 44,302-square-meter RioSul Shopping, a vibrant, dynamic mix of retail and leisure activities. Continente Hypermarket is still here, but it’s been joined by Zara, H&M, C&A Castello Lopes Cinemas, Worten consumer electronics, Sports Zone and more.

In design terms, its two shopping levels borrow from the city’s history of modern and innovative architecture. And the design is all: All materials were changed, including floors, ceilings, lighting. It is a place to be enjoyed by everyone, and not just for shopping. RioSul Shopping is proof, provided by developer Sonae Sierra, that an old-generation shopping center has the potential to be refurbished and expanded in order to fulfill the new demands of consumers in the face of modern competition.

Restore Award

Winner: L’Esplanade
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

L’Esplanade is unique in many ways. It is a pedestrian city center built over two levels of decked parking. It is the largest mixed-use project ever built in Belgium. It is the commercial focal point of a new city, one that is evolving from what was essentially a university city into a major regional hub. L’Esplanade, a 53,416-square-meter project of Wilhelm & Co., integrates new functions into this new city: leisure, culture, residential development and a regional mall that is expected to draw almost seven million new visitors.

The mall has brought retailers and services to the new city that residents would have had to travel to Brussels, 30 meters away, to visit. UGC Cinemas, with 13 screens, is one of the attractions, as are such retailers as Delhaize, FNAC, H&M, Go Sport, Esprit, Zara and Hema.

And L’Esplanade scores high marks for its sustainability. The mall is naturally lit by large skylights, which are over-glazed with reflective glass to reduce solar gain. The ceiling of the car parks, under the lower level of the mall, has been insulated to reduce heat loss in the shops. In order to minimize energy consumption, air treatment uses fresh air for “free cooling.” Heat recovery is also employed by using air extracted from the shop units, which are run off a central water circuit. Ultimately, L’Esplanade is a tremendous success that rewards an enormous effort.

Winner: Manchester Arndale
Manchester, United Kingdom

The redevelopment of Manchester Arndale has been a key factor in the city’s regeneration from the devastating effects of a terrorist bomb in 1996, and a response to the competitive commercial threat from surrounding boroughs. Working with a compact center city location, building over a service road, and building under a 13-story car park, developer PRUPIM has turned it into a cutting-edge urban shopping center of more than 130,000 square meters.

From the ruins of a 3,300-lb. bomb and a street frontage of temporary cladding has emerged an architectural gem. The yellow-tile clad 1970s shopping center has effectively been reborn as a 21st Century retail experience that draws some 30 million visitors a year. The old monolithic appearance is gone, replaced by a variety of architectural scenes and active frontages. The retail mix is reborn, boasting such names as Top Shop/Top Man, River Island, New Look, Sports Direct and Republic. Ultimately, Manchester Arndale’s redevelopment is a crowning achievement in its completion of an economic regeneration following a devastating event, fulfilling the aims of local government. It exemplifies what can be achieved by the willing cooperation between private investors and city authorities. It is an outstanding example of teamwork from top to bottom across all facets of retail property development.

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