Guimarães, October 2nd 2009
Inauguration on October 1st
GuimarãeShopping's expansion 100% let
- Expansion works represented an investment of 15.2 million euros
- 290 jobs created
Sonae Sierra has just opened the expansion of GuimarãeShopping, a project that represented an investment of 15.2 million euros, and is a leasing success with 100% of its Gross Lettable Area (GLA) let.
GuimarãeShopping now has an additional 4,000 m2 of Gross Lettable Area (GLA), for a total of about 31,500 m2 of GLA and 113 shops, with the added selection brought by 14 new shops and 6 new restaurants.
The new food court is already opened to the public with a total of 16 restaurants. This new sector includes, among other brands, Vitaminas, Quasi Pronti, Aki há Sopas, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Docelândia and Miki Gourmet, a new sushi concept soon to be open.
Among the brands that are present, we highlight FNAC - the big novelty in town - which joins the Modelo Continente Hypermarket, C&A, Sportzone, Worten, Castello Lopes cinemas, Massimo Dutti, Salsa, Pull&Bear, Multiopticas, Springfield, Mango, Perfumes & Companhia, Benetton and many others.
The expansion project began last March, and had the purpose of revitalizing GuimarãeShopping, celebrating the centre's 14 years in existence. The success in the marketing of the new shops is proof of the qualities and commercial success of this centre, as demonstrated by its 8.8 annual visits, and an annual sales volume that reaches 52.4 million euros.
This expansion process also allowed for the creation of 290 new jobs, to add to the 1018 already in existence.
Architectural concept
The expansion project of Guimarãeshopping came to fruition in the square that covers the Bus Terminal Station of Guimarães, in a circular building, with its own personality, different from the architectural language of the current shopping centre building that works as an articulation element between the centre and the cinemas.
The new food court - an indoors square - is an area with some urban references such as Portuguese pavement, and works as an extension of the outdoors pavement. The natural lighting of this area, achieved through the use of the central skylight and the vertical glass panes, will provide a pleasant setting for visitors, which promises to turn the food court into a reference area, and a new meeting point for the people of the city.
The circulation area connects to new indoors square, where the new Fnac shop will be inaugurated in November. The old food court will feature new shops with a totally new and varied offer.
Bus Terminal Station and access renovated
The expansion project of GuimarãeShopping will also include the refurbishment of the city's access roads, namely the crucial node of the Guimarães road network. The objective is to alleviate traffic and facilitate the access of ambulances to the hospital. The measures implemented by Sonae Sierra are the result of a long analysis process, developed together with the city hall, taking into account the specificities of this node.
Sonae Sierra is equally committed to the refurbishment of the Bus Terminal Station, which was the object works to improve the ventilation system so as to diminish the accumulation of smoke and gas inside this infrastructure. At the same time, a refurbishment in terms of painting and facilities was also carried out. The security of the terminal was reinforced and now has available a new information panel and waiting room for the convenience of users.
About Sonae Sierra
Sonae Sierra, http://www.sonaesierra.com/, is an international shopping centre specialist, with a passion for bringing innovation and excitement to the shopping centre industry. The Company owns 51 Shopping Centres in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Brazil, with a total Gross Lettable Area (GLA) of more than 1.9 million m². Currently, Sonae Sierra has 3 projects under development and 11 new projects in different phases of completion in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Brazil. In 2008 our Shopping Centres had more than 429 million visits.