As in the office sector, retail developers and project owners now need to build or renovate shopping centers in accordance with sustainable and green principles due to changing and more sophisticated demands from consumers and tenants and increasingly demanding sustainability regulations.
This is particularly the case with recent shopping center projects such as Etele Plaza, which has just celebrated its first anniversary. Futureal, operating across various market sectors such as office and industrial, has a long-term policy of developing highly sustainable assets in response to tenant demand and the expectations of investors.
“Due to its sustainable solutions, Futureal’s development is the first shopping center in Hungary that has obtained one of the highest green building ratings in the construction phase,” the company said, on what could be seen as the new requirements at the high end of the shopping center market.
“In line with the Breeam certification, special attention was paid to ensuring easy accessibility, minimizing light pollution as well as the direct environmental impact, incorporating durable materials, and promoting waste reduction and reuse,” the company explains.
“In accordance with the rating, tenants also focused on sustainability during the realization of the stores. Nearly 4,000 sqm of green space, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and trees await visitors at the environment-friendly shopping and entertainment center,” Futureal adds.
In the post-coronavirus environment, state-of-the-art equipment is also available to ensure the health and safety of visitors, according to the developer.
“In line with Futureal’s Stay Safe initiative, the interior areas are almost completely touch-free wherever possible. The HVAC systems of the building include UV sterilizing filters. The systems provide almost 100% efficiency in killing viruses and bacteria in seconds without the use of chemical disinfectants. Disinfection points are available in the busiest areas and the restrooms. The escalators are also fitted with a built-in handrail sanitizer system to maximize safety. The sinks can also be used without touching them,” the company stresses.
The complex includes around 180 retail, entertainment and service outlets, including restaurants, a green roof terrace, cafes, a multiplex cinema, a gym and 1,300 parking spaces. All this is located at a transport hub where the Kelenföld railway station, the Metro 4 line, and the approach sections of the M1-M7 motorways meet.
Chapman Taylor designed the retail concept, the architect was the Hungarian firm Paulinyi & Partners, and Dyer undertook the interior design. The latest generation plaza forms part of a mixed-use development on a brownfield site with easy access from residential areas with 230,000 people within close proximity, according to Futureal.
“Environmentally conscious and people-centered operations had a major role in the development of the new generation Etele Plaza. The building’s state-of-the-art technical solutions have brought a new era of shopping centers to Hungary,” concludes Dóra Borsos-Vámosi, co-director of Etele Plaza.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of January 13, 2023.
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