ICSC announces the 2016 European Shopping Centre Awards Finalists

Eleven centres have been shortlisted, representing ten countries across Europe according to Jury Chair, Joao Correia de Sampaio, director at Sonae Sierra and Vice-Chair Robert Pearce, consultant at Haskoll Architects and Designers. Finalists are located in Turkey, Portugal, Israel, Germany, France, Denmark, Estonia, Netherlands, Italy and the UK.

Every year, ICSC presents awards to the best retail developments in Europe. Widely acknowledged to be the most prestigious recognition within the industry, ICSC’s awards are assessed by senior international figures within the retail real estate industry. The ICSC Awards give owners, developers, architects and shopping centre managers the opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience.

Any new or refurbished retail or entertainment project opened between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2015 and any established centres opened, refurbished or expanded opened before 2010 were eligible to apply for an award.

The jury will commence their tour of all the finalists across Europe early next year before a final decision is made ahead of the winners’ announcement at the networking dinner of the ICSC’s European Conference on 18-19 April 2016 in Milan, Italy. Commendations may also be given to selected finalists, in recognition of particular achievements or features of special interest and all European award winners will be automatically submitted to the 2017 ICSC VIVA Best-of-the-Best Awards programme to be announced in May 2017.

2016 ICSC EUROPEAN SHOPPING CENTRE AWARDS FINALISTS

REFURBISHMENTS/EXPANSION: MEDIUM

Alegro Setúbal

Setúbal, Portugal

Located in one of Portugal’s most stunning regions, Alegro Setúbal is the biggest centre in the Algarve. It aims to provide a comfortable shopping experience with a human dimension, and digital orientation, experience box concept, and free sports area. It has a powerful fashion, food court and entertainment offer plus a diversified tenant mix. It is anchored by Inditex, H&M, Fnac, Healthclub, Cinema and hypermarket Auchan. Totaling 43,633m² and with 93 shops on three floors, the center was designed with strong relationships to the brands and the community and this allowed development of joint art projects with local habitants. These projects are in the cityscape and partially relocated inside of the center, and reinforce community engagement. As a marketing plan, the center has a dynamic program with activities for visitors such as a welcome card for each time they return.

Frederiksberg Centret

Copenhagen, Denmark

In an innovative and challenging expansion of an existing shopping centre delivering two new levels and 50% more retail over 19,000m², Frederiksberg Centret opened fully leased, on time, and on budget. The refurbishment of existing retail and the exterior has produced an attractive contemporary image. Frederiksberg was already a successful a two-level shopping centre with all-round street frontage – the project increased the retail mix, floor space and visual impact, creating the best urban lifestyle retail destination in Denmark. The center welcomes 25 new retail outlets, for a total of 90 shops, featuring the best Danish and international retailers with the best mix of fashion, lifestyle and dining from Denmark’s world-famous Stroget shopping street. The new second level is dedicated to fashion and lifestyle shops, including new food concepts Paleo and 42 Raw and double-height presence for H&M. Internal ambience was dramatically enhanced by a new unifying visual identity that is warm, Danish, yet subtly contemporary.

REFURBISHMENTS/EXPANSION:  LARGE

Maltepe Park Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey

CarrefourSA Maltepe Park Shopping Centre opened in 2005 on the Asian side of Istanbul in the Maltepe district, with a total of 31,500m² and 110 shops. This region is now one of Istanbul’s most prestigious urban transformation projects. With the population increasing rapidly, and the customer profile and socio-economic structure improving, the shopping centre needed to expand and the tenant mix adapted. While trading in the existing centre continued, the leasable area was extended to 75,000m², providing a new total of 250 specialty stores, restaurants and cafés on three floors. With a marketing strategy emphasizing a modern city park concept, the new Maltepe Park opened with a strong mix of international retailers. The extension and modernization of Maltepe Park resulted in increasing footfalls and turnovers and even more satisfied tenants and customers.

Ülemiste Shopping Centre

Tallinn, Estonia

Ülemiste Shopping Centre was already one of the largest and most successful shopping centers in Tallinn. After a two-year development and re-branding program, the expanded and completely refurbished 58,800m² centre provides an improved shopping and recreational experience using contemporary architecture and interior design to create an entertaining environment. Architectural design is created through associative interpretation of the natural world - stone, wood, water, flowers and the sun were brought into the centre with imagination and modern solutions. The choice of fashion brands and lifestyle product offerings was widened - major tenants include H&M, Zara, Massimo Dutti and River Island. Casual restaurants were added, new meeting places created, indoor and outdoor playgrounds and many new innovative services added. All shops and services are gathered into carefully designed clusters to enhance the customer experience. And when it gets dark outside, the façade of Ülemiste Shopping Centre is covered with Northern Lights, making it an inviting and visible landmark.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS: SMALL/MEDIUM

Big Fashion Ashdod Mall

Ashdod, Israel

BIG Fashion Ashdod is the largest lifestyle centre in Israel, the first of its kind in size and magnitude. It is strategically located next to Ashdod’s train station, hospital, and a newly built interchange, with a target audience over half a million within 12 minutes' drive. The 25,000m², 121-store project is unique with its look and feel of well-designed pedestrian streets, defined by four separate buildings, housing such anchor tenants as Forever 21, H&M, Adidas, Steve Madden, Pandora, Bobbi-Brown, Timberland, American Eagle. Each store is characterised with a different façade, incorporating unique elements. The customer experience is enhanced using ecological pools with fish and aquatic flora, jet fountains, and special sitting areas. BIG Fashion Ashdod creates an excellent tenant mix of leading brands, fashion and entertainment, alongside diversified restaurants and coffee shops providing a rich customer experience.

Markthal Rotterdam

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Rotterdam has a stunning new retail icon at a historical location at the Binnenrotte, next to Blaak Station, Markthal Rotterdam is the largest weekly open-air market and the Netherlands’ first covered market. With a total of 114 stores and 9,658m², Markthal includes a huge market floor under an arch of apartments. Its shape, colorful interior and height mark it as unique, not only in shape and size, but especially in the way it combines its different functions. The combination of an apartment building atop a fresh food market with food shops, restaurants, a supermarket and underground parking is found nowhere else in the world. Markthal’s major tenants include Albert Heijn, Etos, Gall&Gall, Jamie Oliver, Dudok, SUMO, Fellini, Basq Kitchen, Habitas, The World of Drinks, Pickles Burgers & Wines, All Day Greek, Le Perron, De Tuinen, De Wereld van Smaak, and many more.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS: LARGE

Mall of Istanbul

Istanbul, Turkey

Located in the European side of Istanbul above the Trans-European Motorway and eight KM from Ataturk Interntional Airport in the most densely populated district of Istanbul, the 162,500m² Mall of Istanbul is the largest mixed-use project in Turkey. It combines components of office, four residential blocks, and a mall. A second phase will add an open street and a five-star hotel - all with architecture inspired by Istanbul. Significant advantage is gained in energy consumption with wide galleries providing daylight in each floor. Three large and two small atriums provide access points. MOI Park, Turkey’s largest indoor themed amusement park is situated in the middle of the shopping centre. Cinetech is Turkey’s largest cinema complex with 16 theaters, and MOI Stage has a seating capacity of 700. The project is further enriched with MOI Club, comprised of various workshops; Gusto MOI, which brings together Turkey’s regional cuisines; and Ottomanya, the interactive Ottoman Museum.

Milaneo Stuttgart

Stuttgart, Germany

Milaneo Stuttgart, built on the grounds of a former freight train station, is more than just a shopping destination – it is the heart of the modern and vibrant city quarter. Milaneo’s three individual buildings with three retail levels merge into a lively quarter connected via Mailänder Platz and numerous alleys. Transparent glass bridges link the levels on the first floors. The development includes 200 specialty stores, 90 of them new to Stuttgart. 415 apartments, 7,400m² of offices and a 165-room hotel above the retail complement the complex, with spacious green roofs and terraces on their top. Milaneo represents quality urban planning and superior urban architecture. A horizontally stratified shopping centre, in which different usage types are layered on top of one another, is unique on this scale in Germany. The shopping centre was also awarded with the Sustainability Certificate in Platinum by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Waves Actisud

Moulins les Metz, France

With exceptional architecture and landscaping, Waves Actisud, the first open sky shopping centre developed by Compagnie de Phalsbourg, gathers the best of retail park brands and high street retail, combined with the best of entertainment. With 45,686m², it boasts such major tenants as Truffaut, Zodio, Cultura, La Grande Récré, Orchestra, and Nike Factory Outlet. The centre owes its name to the building’s form, where a gigantic stainless steel wave mirrors the environment. At Waves’ heart is the 2,580-space, heavily landscaped car park. Shops are located in a single building surrounding the car park. The catering and restaurant area is located around a lake with water and light shows and a stage for live performances. Innovative customer services include free electric shuttles, VIP lounge, multichannel loyalty program and social networks on-site connections. Waves Actisud was rated by L'Express weekly newspaper among the “40 projects that will change France's face”.

Zorlu Center

Istanbul, Turkey

At the crossroads between Europe and Asia, a new lifestyle destination has been created in the heart of Istanbul. Zorlu Center, the product of a collaboration between two award-winning architectural groups, is surrounded by the rich Bosphorus flora of Istanbul including 60 distinct plant species. It boasts a 10,000m² main square and 191 stores including Beymen, Apple with its iconic cube store concept originating in New York, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co., Fendi, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, and Michael Kors. Zorlu Center received the trendsetting Architecture award by the International Green Roof Association for its 72,000m² of green space reserved for landscaping – a €14m investment – and its eco-friendly sustainable approach. There is also a park where guests enjoy concerts, free movies and activities for children.

ESTABLISHED CENTRES

Bullring

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Opened in 2003, the Bullring is located in the centre of Birmingham, in the English Midlands. It has become one of the UK’s most successful retail destinations and a top choice for many international brands looking to launch in the UK. Bullring is a regional super prime center with multiple best-in-class offerings, including regional flagships providing mass market, young fashion. It includes a premium retail quarter around the iconic Selfridges department store. The store has become emblematic of Birmingham’s retail-led regeneration. Designed by Future Systems, it was inspired by a sequined Paco Rabanne dress and features 15,000 polished aluminium discs. Apart from an outstanding retail tenant mix, Bullring also offers best-in-class catering options, making the leisure offering a destination in its own right.

McArthurGlen La Reggia

Maricanise, Italy

Ideally located near iconic destinations Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, McArthurGlen La Reggia is Southern Italy’s largest designer outlet. 100% occupied, with 137 stores, its luxury names include Armani, Aspesi, Roberto Cavalli, Alberto Guardiani, Gucci, Isaia, Kiton, Cesari Paciotti, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Valentino, Versace. Sport brands include Nike, Reebok, Adidas. International brands: Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger. The centre is renowned for its attentive staff and a warm welcome to all ages, commitment to highest standards of management, excellent hospitality/customer service, six cafes/restaurants offering a wide range of food, special children’s facilities, award-winning design reflecting local architecture and history. La Reggia also has a track record of innovation – its own solar power, LED, 100% recycling. Major investment has been made in training over 700 centre/store employees. Highly successful and engaging, McArthurGlen La Reggia has delivered consistent sales growth and expansion, and is in advanced planning for a fourth phase of 5,000m².