Echo reveals Galaxy extension details
Retail & leisureThe new section, which has been designed by the Open Architekci studio, will enlarge the mall’s leasable area from 42,000 sqm to 60,000 sqm. The construction work is start in March 2016 and the first few customers will be able to shop in the extension in October 2017. The Kielce-based developer is currently waiting for a building permit. The company also still needs to secure the finance for the project. Construction costs are estimated at PLN 150 mln.
“Galaxy has been in operation for 12 years. In 2011 the project was revitalised – we renovated the interiors, extended the flooring, ceilings and refurbished some of the toilets. Now the time has come for another stage in terms of adjusting the centre to customers’ changing needs,” explains Marek Gładki, the director of the commercialisation and marketing team of Echo Investment’s shopping centre department. Galaxy has an annual footfall of 11 mln customers, who come from Szczecin (over 400,000 inhabitants) as well as Germany and Scandinavia. After the completion of the extension work, the shopping centre will have a retail area of 60,000 sqm and 200 stores (up from 170) as well as 1,500 parking spaces (currently 1,300 spaces). The project will also involve an entirely new façade for the existing section of Galaxy. According to Marek Gładki, 55 pct of the area has already been leased before the start of the construction work.
“We have already signed contracts with a number of key tenants: Reserved, which is to move to a larger, 2,500 sqm store in the new section and openits flagship shop in the region; and TK Maxx, which will have the same area. Both stores will be equipped with innovative, 10m tall shop windows, which create an extraordinary effect from the customers’ perspective,” he emphasises. A 1,500 sqm Fabryka Formy fitness club will also be opening in the centre. According to the developer, the new section of Galaxy will take the form of a shopping avenue with a square, which will function not only for shopping but mostly as a meeting place for the residents of Szczecin and the region. This internal square will include a stage suitable for hosting a variety of events and will be covered with a glass roof, enhancing the natural light in the centre.
“Our task is to divide a huge building into smaller elements in order to best integrate it with the development of the city centre. We are going to use a lot of glass, which reacts as the time of day and the seasons change. This will also be emphasised with lighting effects when it gets dark,” explains Paweł Paradowski of Open Architekci.
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