retail and leisure

Alexa, Berlin, Germany

the new face
of retail
Dwindling greenfield space and greater incentives for As retail looks to yesterday’s cities for models of tomorrow’s
smarter, urban-style developments are changing the face best shopping centres, there is an opportunity to create
of retail. Major shopping centres and substantial single- authentic, holistic environments where shoppers’ needs and
use projects are a thing of the past; today, opportunities, desires are reflected in the stores they see and the public
although more complex, are found in urban environments. spaces in which they congregate.
Plazas and park benches are replacing bright lights and
neon signs, paved roads have taken the place of shiny
floors, and an exciting new kind of shopping centre is
emerging to reflect a different kind of attitude.

Certainly consumers are ready for it. Cities are seeing a

surge of new residents seeking the culture and convenience
of urban life. No longer content to sit in traffic, today’s
smart consumers are embracing pedestrian connections,
lifestyle options, places they can live, work and play, as
well as shop.

a new kind of customer

Retail and Leisure

Príncipe Pío Station, Madrid, Spain
 better connections

The town square is no longer an antiquated setting.

In today’s retail developments, it is the hub of social designing for your market
interaction and a link between places to shop, dine, work
and live. Today’s shoppers are searching for well-connected
shopping environments that channel a time when retail was
an inextricable part of everyday society.

Intelligently-planned town centres redefine the notion of

one-stop shopping. It’s not about providing everything under
a single roof; rather, it’s about providing an infrastructure
that permits shoppers efficiency with their time, energy
and resources. It’s about creating connections to and from
a retail environment. The relationship between transit
and retail is integral to any successful environment. Just
as retail enhances the transportation experiences, transit
brings new and returning customers and contributes to a
thriving retail community.

Retail and Leisure

Lowry Mixed-Use, Salford Quays, UK
 mixing it up

Urban revival has a new best friend in mixed-use

development. Retail tenants and developers alike are like they say,
reaping profits with the integration of retail with residential
or office buildings. These developments, while assisting it’s all in the mix
municipal leaders in curbing urban sprawl and contributing
to a city’s growth, are proving more flexible and sustainable
than retail-only developments. They enjoy a built-in
customer base and offer diverse uses at different times of
the day.

Cities interested in catering to an influx of dwellers from

suburbia are offering smart-growth initiatives to developers
interested in mixed-use projects. In turn, developers can
profit from a strong infrastructure already in place. While
these projects are quite complex, equipping yourself with
the necessary resources to successfully partner with other
developers and municipal leaders, understanding the
appropriate integration of mass transit and innovative parking
solutions and ensuring a comprehensive awareness of the
market will result in your mixed-use development’s success.

Retail and Leisure

The O2, London, UK
 conducting the orchestra

When it all comes together, an orchestra is formed. From

the signs adorning your common areas to messages keeping your
communicated by the staff - each element says something
about your brand, your identity and what your development project in rhythm
means to the consumers who visit it. And they may not
be who you think they are. More than just demographics,
today’s retail market is driven largely by niches with
changing attitudes and specialised tastes.

Every choice you make will not only impact the orchestra
but will also determine the success of your development.
Studying your market, weighing the cause and effect
of each component, determining how every decision
affects the retailer, the customer and the community, will
strengthen your identity and help you to see the big picture.

Retail and Leisure

Príncipe Pío Station, Madrid, Spain
 the o2

Palladium

PRÍNCIPE PÍO STATION

BARI RETAIL CENTRE

mirdif city centre

ESCAPE CENTRE

EstaciÓn de tren MarÍa Zambrano, Malaga

berceo retail centre

METROPOLIS

Parque Atlântico

Veso mare
Arkadia

BAHRAIN CITY CENTRE

el boulevard de Vitoria-Gasteiz

OUR WORK
we take pride in our Big or small, broad or specific, international or right
in our backyards, RTKL delivers high-quality work that

work, and it shows combines our rich and diverse experience with a thorough
understanding of our clients’ industry and their business
goals. Every project we do reveals something original,
something potent and something vital. These examples
of our projects offer a glimpse into our passionate and
influential work.

Retail and Leisure Our Work

 a musically-infused,
high-energy entertainment
complex

The O2
Location: London, UK
Client: AEG Europe
Services: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design

As part of the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula, RTKL

was commissioned to take part in the design of the O2, an
entertainment complex that houses a 23,000-seat theatre; a
2,350-seat music venue; the UK’s largest digital screen cinema;
an exhibition centre; bars and restaurants. As the project is
London’s only interior entertainment and “leisure” street, RTKL
was challenged to create a scheme that could seamlessly
choreograph diverse experiences targeted at different ages,
price points, and interests.

High-quality materials and the creation of an appropriate

sense of scale drive the design scheme, which comprises
three energised “streets” interspersed with open spaces that
offer varying levels of activity. The first street houses a live
music club and additional music venues. The second street,
located along the edge of the complex, features a dynamic
lighting scheme that mimics a bustling city street at night. The
exhibition centre is located on the third street. State-of-the-art
technology, including giant LED and projection screens and
sophisticated focusable audio systems, is used throughout
the project. Various period architectural elements, including
traditional London street furniture, help to shape a cohesive
sense of place.

Retail and Leisure our work

Photo: Martin Burian
 evoking Prague's rich
tradition of music, theatre
and the arts

Palladium
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Client: European Property Development
Services: Thematic Content, Interior Design,
Environmental Graphic Design

Located on the site of an old stable and barracks building, the

Palladium provides an exciting new shopping attraction to the
historic city of Prague. The design retains the architectural
style of the site’s early structure and boasts a restored front
facade. Portions of the original foundation, dating back to the
12th century, are incorporated into the architecture of the new
40,000-SM mall.

RTKL, commissioned for interior and graphic design, developed

a thematic concept that celebrates the history of the site
by drawing on Prague’s rich tradition of music, theatre and
the arts. The word ‘Palladium’ itself creates connotations
of a performance venue. To express this thematic idea in
the project’s design, the team established a layout in which
each floor functions as a stage showcasing its various
retailers. Large, glass panels offer unobstructed views into
the storefronts and throughout the lengthy corridors. A large
steel-framed, glass skylight running the length of the building
provides abundant natural light to the space. In addition to more
than 200 retailers, the complex boasts 18,500-SM of prime
office space, 900 underground parking spaces and connections
to adjacent Metro services.

Retail and Leisure our work

 a new retail hub meets
an old transit hub

Príncipe Pío Station

Location: Madrid, Spain
Client: Riofisa, S.A.
Services: Planning, Architecture

Born out of the rebirth of a historic transit station in a bustling

area of downtown Madrid, the award-winning Príncipe Pío retail
centre is an exciting new convergence of urban transit and
retail. Sited at a critical junction of two subway lines, a regional
train line and one of the city’s largest bus stations, a phased
design program ensured that all transit lines continued to run
during the construction of the challenging 37,000-SM project.

By painstakingly restoring the train station, the designers

created a dramatic centrepiece around which the new
construction was focused. An innovative glass dome provides an
elegant entryway to the centre, allowing visitors to experience
upscale shopping in the historic train station, or enjoy films and
fine dining in the newly constructed entertainment wing.

Retail and Leisure our work

 a vibrant retail landmark

Bari Retail Centre

Location: Bari, Italy
Client: Coimpredil S.P.A
Services: Architecture

For the Bari Retail Centre, the client was seeking a design
scheme that could link the centre to its surroundings; attract
premier Italian fashion brands; and help shape a vibrant
and lively experience for shoppers. When an initial scheme
envisioned the centre as a black box that lacked connections to
the surrounding area, RTKL was brought on board to provide a
new design that could achieve the client’s desired objectives.

The resulting, RTKL-designed scheme maximises the centre’s

visibility and positions it as a landmark within the surrounding
area. Parking options easily access the structure but are
pleasantly concealed with landscaping to preserve sight lines. A
glazed double-height atrium that houses fashion retailers and a
food court forms the centre’s grand entrance and establishes an
appropriate space hierarchy. Interior design elements, including
ceiling formations, handrail details and sculptures, call to
mind Bari’s maritime heritage. Windows and skylights line the
southern side of the building, a configuration that maximises
natural light and ensures thermal efficiency in Southern Italy’s
humid climate.

Retail and Leisure our work

 providing the city of Dubai
with retail and leisure

Mirdif City Centre

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Client: Majid Al Futtaim Development
Services: Concept, Schematic Design

In the rapidly growing city of Dubai, the Mirdif City Centre provides
a Western-style retail attraction to an emerging commercial
district. Located between the Dubai International Airport and a
large residential area, the easily accessible new 230,000-SM
development has become the heart of the community.

The two-level mall is anchored by a 15,000-SM hypermarket.

Bisecting the building’s rectangular scheme is a striking
pedestrian plaza featuring interconnecting public spaces that
progress from the landscaped ‘front door’ through the core
of the design. The three-storey public spaces boast dramatic
ceiling and lighting ornamentation and are designed to
accommodate large groups of people for promotional events.
Parking is offered by a combination of surface parking and
garage structures. Perforated screen panels enclose the parking
facilities and become part of evening visual displays when
enhanced with lighting. Landscaping, shading devices and water
and lighting accents contribute to a ‘softer’ image and appeal to
residential and business patrons alike.

Retail and Leisure our work

 a versatile
community space

Escape Centre
Location: Athens, Greece
Client: REDS SA
Services: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design

Located on a former olive tree grove, RTKL’s design for

the Escape Centre balances the best of a pastoral setting
with modern commercial options. The centre’s retail and
entertainment offerings interweave with public gathering
spaces, positioning the centre as a round-the-clock destination.

The multi-level architecture draws on the surrounding

environment. High ceilings provide shade for expansive outdoor
terraces. Wood and metal accents add contemporary detailing,
and versatile lighting options highlight intricate outdoor spaces
at night. A traditional Greek open-air cinema, a bowling alley,
and well-appointed restaurants and retail venues provide
diverse guest experiences. Two distinct rows of olive trees call
to mind the site’s past, and multiple public gathering spaces
allow visitors to enjoy the centre’s attractions all day long.

Retail and Leisure our work

 retail and transit form
a new urban core

Estación de Tren
María Zambrano, Malaga
Location: Malaga, Spain
Client: Riofisa SA
Services: Master Planning, Architectural Design

The city of Malaga, a popular coastal destination conveniently

accessible by a major airport and train station, has attracted
significant commercial development and growth in recent
years. The city’s configuration of disengaged districts posed
challenges for officials who sought to develop a new large-
scale central business district. To remedy the situation, Malaga
commissioned RTKL to create a master plan that would position
the historic train station as a unifying core in the new
538,000-SF mixed-use environment.

RTKL’s master plan and architectural scheme focuses on

accommodating and highlighting the station’s transit functions
while simultaneously infusing the space with a variety of
mixed-use components. A new plaza enhances the existing
entry foyer by providing a more visible entrance between
flanking retail and entertainment pavilions. Maximising views
of the rail operations, the design facilitates seamless circulation
throughout the transit platforms. Sweeping roof forms visually
connect the station with the surrounding developments and
proposed four-star hotel to further position downtown Malaga
as a hub of activity.

Retail and Leisure our work

 breathing new life
into lifestyle

Berceo Retail Centre

Location: Logroño, Spain
Client: ING Real Estate
Services: Master Planning, Architecture

The Berceo Retail Centre is a 41,263-SM retail centre built on

the Rio Lomo site just outside the city centre of Logroño, the
capitol of La Rioja, Spain. Because the project site surrounds
the city's main roundabout, the building was planned as a
signature icon for the entrance to Logroño. The metallic dome
over the commercial area serves the dual purpose of providing a
unique interior retail experience for the two-storey commercial
structure and making a strong urban statement for the city.

The complex is divided into three separate structures: a

hypermarket, a retail gallery, and a restaurant facility. Two
strategically placed entrances connect the three components
and give the complex a unified feel. The entry to the north is
located between the hypermarket and the retail gallery and
responds to the daytime and commercial activity. A second entry
to the south serves both the restaurant facility and retail gallery
and caters to night-time and leisure uses. An outdoor plaza at
the south entrance features an expansive partition that allows
for huge screen projections to appear on the inner walls of the
main mall providing entertainment to those passing by. Two
laser beams shoot from dome projectors to make the building
visible from any part of the city, increasing the presence of the
centre in the Rioja landscape. In addition to numerous awards
RTKL has received for the design of the facility, Berceo was
awarded the "Shopping Centre Award 2004" at MIPIM 2004.

Retail and Leisure our work

 a catalyst for future
regeneration

Metropolis
Location: Leningradskoye Shosse, Moscow
Client: Capital Partners
Services: Master Plan thru Schematic Design, Logo and
Identity Design

Prominently located on Leningradskoye Shosse, a major highway

encircling Moscow, Metropolis represents a new generation of
commercial development for a burgeoning region of the city. The
goal for the 315,000-SM retail and office development was two-
fold: introduce a modern mixed-use environment that supports
around-the-clock activity while creating a sophisticated space
that fits well with the local setting.

Inspired by the energy of city centres, the design of Metropolis

mimics an open-air street scene. Retail corridors resembling
shopping boulevards utilise colours, patterns and finishes to
transform individual storefronts into dynamic facades. Various
architecture details continue to create the aesthetic of an
outdoor lifestyle centre. A Grand Plaza and garden serve as
a junction between the retail component and three office
buildings. Circulation throughout the complex is enhanced
with clear directional signage and identifying graphics. With
close proximity to a metro station, bus inter-change and future
light rail stop, Metropolis becomes a celebrated extension of
downtown Moscow.

Images courtesy of Capital Partners

Retail and Leisure our work

 a nautically inspired
retail centre

Parque Atlântico
Location: San Miguel Island, Portugal
Client: Coop Consumatori Nordest S.C.R.L
Services: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design

Sonae Imobilaria, one of Portugal’s leading shopping centre

developers, commissioned RTKL to design a new facility at
Ponta Delgada on San Miguel Island in the Azores. The location,
whose retail options had previously been limited to the local
Modelo Hypermarket, now houses Parque Atlântico, a dynamic
22,200-SM retail and entertainment centre.

The architecture of the two-level structure, built onto the

existing hypermarket, is inspired by maritime iconography and
the cultural life of the Azores. Local materials, including grey
volcanic stone and timber, are moulded into echo waves and
boat shapes that form the building’s glass-panelled exterior.
A full-size reproduction of a humpback whale, historically the
driving force of the island’s economy, highlights the building’s
airy interior, which features 75 in-line stores, a 15-restaurant
food court, and a four-screen cinema.

Retail and Leisure our work

 an old factory site
becomes a vibrant
urban leisure centre

Veso Mare
Location: Patras, Greece
Client: REDS SA
Services: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design

Veso Mare sits on a run-down factory site, and a major goal for
the redevelopment of the space included preserving the historic
stone buildings. RTKL worked to restore the buildings, while
integrating them into a cohesive, modern, urban environment.
The result is a multi-tiered leisure facility that offers a
successful and unique project in the heart of downtown Patras.

The new Veso Mare, one of the first leisure-only developments

in Greece, is a dynamic assortment of entertainment, retail,
restaurants and its most dynamic feature - public spaces.
Anchored by an eight-screen Europlex cinema and a 16-lane
Mondo bowling alley and bar, the project spans three levels.
It capitalises on the Greek climate and European lifestyle
by providing an open-air setting with virtually no barrier
between indoor and outdoor spaces. Only a mile from Patras’
Mediterranean coast, the project features spectacular views from
outdoor seating areas. Whether it is tourists arriving on nearby
ferries from Italy or individuals from surrounding offices and
residential buildings, visitors enjoy pergola-covered eating spots,
a large central plaza and an interactive central water feature.

Retail and Leisure our work

 local culture inspires
a unique design

Arkadia
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Client: CEFIC Polska Sp. z.o.o.
Services: Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design

Arkadia, a 420,000-SF retail and entertainment centre located

in the Zoliborz district of Warsaw, is one of the largest centres
of its kind in Poland. Anchored by a Carrefour hypermarket,
Arkadia offers more than 230 stores and entertainment options,
including a bowling centre, food court, and multi-screen cinema.
The design team utilised local folklore and history to create an
environment that both respects local custom and creates a lively
retail and leisure experience.

An Urban Piazza at the main entrance to the centre is defined by

a series of buildings and facades that break down the centre’s
scale and lend individual identity to the tenants. The recreation
of a busy Warsaw shopping street, the promenade of the Wisla
River and the grand festivities of a Polish circus, creates an
intuitive, natural connection among the architecture, graphic
design, and retail experience as a whole.

Retail and Leisure our work

 diverse offerings in a
lush urban oasis

Bahrain City Centre

Location: Manama, Bahrain
Client: MAF Developments. (Majid Al Futtaim Group)
Services: Architecture, Interior Design,
Environmental Graphic Design, Master Planning

Bahrain City Centre is a trend setting, mixed-use development

designed to serve as an oasis from the heat and bustle of
Manama. The cutting-edge design includes three levels of retail
and entertainment, a water theme park, a multi-screen cinema,
children’s entertainment and numerous restaurants. The scheme
also incorporates two hotel towers which foster around-the-
clock activity in the emerging city hub.

The signature attraction is a dynamic wave-like structure that

serves as the project’s backbone. The multi-level space provides
a central plaza that facilitates easy circulation throughout the
various floors and functions as an exciting gathering place. A
mix of colour, lighting, and dramatic forms not only highlight
the centre’s individual components, but also knit the entire
development together.

Retail and Leisure our work

 an award winning
landmark for the city

El Boulevard de
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Location: Vitoria, Spain
Client: ING Real Estate Development, S.L.
Services: Master Planning, Architecture

El Boulevard de Vitoria is a fully-equipped 120,000-SM retail

and entertainment centre located in the historic city of Vitoria,
Spain. The three-level centre, the largest of its kind in the
Basque region, houses diverse retail, entertainment and dining
options. An innovative architectural scheme constructed on the
foundations of a former factory departs from the traditional big-
box format of retail centres and features unifying elements that
integrate four component buildings.

Designers of the centre wanted it to share a close connection

with the local community, serving more as a landmark and
civic space than merely as a place to shop. The desire for this
connection is literally reflected in the centre’s name - The
Boulevard of Vitoria. A pedestrian-friendly promenade accesses
the main streets that border the centre, including the Calle
Reyes Catòlicos. The complex is within walking distance of
the city and conveniently positioned along key bus routes.
Sensitively concealed above-ground parking provides well-
received green space and allows customers travelling by car to
easily access the retail centre.

Retail and Leisure our work

THE BARE
ESSENTIALS
At RTKL, we're about more than just buildings. Instead,
we pride ourselves on developing long-lasting, meaningful
relationships that help companies manage their real estate
portfolios. How do we get there? By doing what we do best.
We offer an unparalleled breadth of services that, when
integrated, bring holistic solutions to even the most elusive
design challenges.
A well-designed building is only as successful as the
relationship it forms outside of its walls. With an extensive
portfolio in planning and urban design, we look at the
spaces between buildings, public areas, landscaping, links
to transportation and use of resources and infrastructure.
Always at our table: great architecture. We deliver high
quality buildings that meet your real estate goals as much as
they redefine aesthetic ones. We take that model to the next
level with interior design, bringing efficient and comfortable
environments to assist your daily operations, making our
workplaces truly work. And if architecture is the show, our
signage, wayfinding, environmental graphics and collateral
materials are the guides, reaching out and fostering physical
connections that increase productivity and foster brand loyalty.
With building for the future comes a need for flexibility
and agility in everything we do. Some of that is achieved
through the connections we make to communities. The rest
is accomplished with our intelligent engineering and applied
technology services. By tightly integrating these systems with
the plan and design of buildings, we ensure fluid, cohesive,
sustainable environments that will operate smoothly today and
down the road.
Our process springs from a tight-knit corporate culture that
fosters collaboration and teamwork. Though we boast offices
throughout the country and all over the world, we are organised
by practice group, rather than geography, thereby ensuring that
every project benefits from the partnership of our most talented
people. We bring experts from all disciplines together to serve
on hospitality, corporate, public, retail and entertainment,
mixed-use and residential projects. With so much experience
in such a wide range of disciplines, we have found we offer a
unique perspective that spans these sectors.
Ultimately, with RTKL you'll find a talented, knowledgeable
team of experts that blends an appreciation for the human
experience with a steadfast understanding for your
bottom line. Since our start in 1946 as a two-man office
in Annapolis, Maryland, we have designed award-winning
buildings, communities, environments, and engineering and
telecommunications systems. Possibilities are endless, and
we look forward to decades more of working closely with you
to build our business - and yours - while designing places that
capture the human spirit today and into the future.
the bare essentials
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