Retail Development in Croatia, Eastern Europe

26 Jan 2010 ATP Architects and Engineers design the Retail Real Estate of the Future • ATP among top 10 retail real estate designers worldwide • Opening of the largest shopping centre in Croatia 11/2009 • Refurbishment projects in Salzburg and Bratislava 10/2009 • ATRIO Villach - Shopping Center of the World 2009 (ICSC) • current projects: VARENA Vöcklabruck, EKZ Gerasdorf, ZTC Rijeka In November 2009, WEST GATE in Zagreb – which is one of the largest state-of-the-art shopping centres in the CEE/SEE region and less than an hour by car from Austria - was opened in the presence of the Croatian State President Stjepan Mesiæ. ATP Architects and Engineers is also currently responsible for the redesign of the ZIB ZENTRUM IM BERG in Salzburg (2009) and the refurbishment of the POLUS CITY CENTER in Bratislava (2009). ATP Architects and Engineers has been designing retail projects since the 1960s and can turn to a great wealth of experience. “The retail real estate of the future demands stable economic success, resource-saving concepts and social added-value for both cities and entire regions” explains Christoph M. Achammer, CEO of ATP. “This is the target of the integrated design approach of ATP Architects and Engineers.” ATP Architects and Engineers provide all essential design services in house – from the project idea to the finished building. “Integrated design is the interdisciplinary, simultaneous cooperation of architects and engineers” adds Achammer. “We employ our experience and expertise in the creation of innovative und resource-optimising buildings of the highest aesthetic quality. And in doing so we want to improve people’s surroundings and enhance the environment while optimally supporting the core processes of our clients.” • West Gate – the superlative shopping centre “We completed West Gate in just 15 months on site with our strong in-house Croatian design team and almost exclusively local executing companies” says Horst Reiner, Managing Director of ATP Vienna. “Our network in the CEE/SEE region has been built up over decades from Vienna and it allows us to help our clients to be successful in these countries: Naturally our integrated design approach and the fact that we can offer our clients a comprehensive all-round package play a great role in this success.” photo : Shopping City Zagreb Refurbishment: ZIB – Zentrum im Berg and Polus City Center In both western and central Europe the shopping centre market is nearly saturated. In light of the resulting intense competition, existing shopping centres are being made fit for the future. Reiner: “Most important are the requirements of switching the building to a sustainable system of operation while at the same time improving attractiveness for clients”. • The ZIB – Zentrum im Berg in Salzburg, Austria, is a good example of how existing shopping centres can be revitalised. Originally built in 1992 to a design by the architect Wilhelm Holzbauer, the complex could not be significantly altered for both statutory planning and urban design reasons. And in addition to this the centre was to remain in operation during its remodelling. • The Polus City Center, Bratislava’s (Slovakia) oldest shopping centre also needed to be revitalised. The building was outdated and not competible anymore. A new light and colour concept as well as a series of constructional interventions led to a clear improvement in the attractiveness of the complex. • ICSC Best-of-the-Best-Award/Sustainability for ATRIO (SC of the world) As a market leader in the design of retail and entertainment projects, ATP Architects and Engineers has built to date more than a million square metres of retail space. Retail projects by ATP have received many prizes and awards. In 2009, the ATP-designed ATRIO in Villach was named „Shopping Center of the World“ by the international trade body ICSC and awarded the Bestof- the-Best-Award/Sustainability.