Manaus, Brazil, April 6th 2009
Manauara Shopping opens its doors to the public tomorrow
Sonae Sierra inaugurates its 10th shopping centre in Brazil
- An investment of €88 million (R$ 260 million).
- 47,000 m2 of GLA (Gross Lettable Area), 96% of which is already let.
- 227 shops, including a Theatre with 550 seat, and 2,750 parking spaces.
- 3.000 jobs created and 12 million visits per year expected.
- Architectural concept inspired on the fauna, flora and culture of the Amazon, featuring works from local artists and artisans.
Sonae Sierra, through its subsidiary Sonae Sierra Brazil, inaugurates today in Manaus the Manauara Shopping, its tenth shopping centre in Brazil, and the 51st of its global portfolio, representing an investment of about €88 million.
With a GLA (Gross Lettable Area) of 47,000 m2, the centre features 227 shops, 12 of which of large dimensions, including national and international brands such as C&A, Centauro, Cia Athletica, Magic Games, Marisa, Playarte, with 10 cinemas, Renner, Riachuelo, Saraiva Megastore (set in a 1,500 m2 area, the first of the brand in Manaus), as well as brands well-known to the local public, such as Bemol, Dinâmica, making available furniture and decoration items, and Hightech Import, specialized in electronic and computer products.
A total of 52 shops are new to Manaus. With about 96% of its GLA already let, the Manauara Shopping features many reference brands: Adidas, Calvin Klein, Kappa, MontBlanc, Victor Hugo and C&A, just to name a few. The centre will also include 10 cinemas.
Other novelty is the installation of a modern Theatre with a total area of 1.350 m2, that can accommodate more than 550 people in a stadium format, and is equipped with the latest generation equipments of light and sound.
"With this inauguration we proceed with our international expansion, and at the same time we reinforce our presence in the Brazilian market, where we have been growing in a sustainable manner. In fact, this is our 10th Shopping Centre in the country, and we have three more projects in the development pipeline in Londrina, Minas Gerais and Goiânia. However, Sonae Sierra's growth strategy doesn't stop here, and in the last quarter of this year we will inaugurate Loop5, in Weiterstad, Germany", states Álvaro Portela, Sonae Sierra's CEO.
Innovation in the Brazilian market
Manauara Shopping will create 3,000 jobs and will welcome more than 12 million visits annually. For this audience, the centre counts on 2,750 parking spaces and a modern electronic vacancy control system, never seen before in Brazil.
The architectural project - designed by José Quintela da Fonseca, Responsible for Sonae Sierra's Architectural and Conceptual Development, is inspired by the fauna and flora of the Amazon, privileging natural light. The Negro and Solimões rivers, the biggest tourist attractions in Manaus, were the inspiration for the centre's logo, and are represented on the development's roof.
The exterior of the development features a green area of more than 3,000 m2, where dozens of Moriche Palms and two Sweet Chestnuts were preserved, and are now a part of the landscaping project of Manauara Shopping, visible to all visitors from the Food Court level.
Inside the centre the work of several local artisans and artists can be appreciated as well.
Also associated to this project are the donations of areas intended to bring culture and knowledge to the population, like the Eco Space, donated to the city hall.
A Green Shopping Centre
Like other projects developed by Sonae Sierra, Manauara Shopping follows the most rigorous standards set by the company's Environmental Management System, and has adopted the most eco-efficient solutions to achieve the environmental ISO 14001 certification the construction management.
From the beginning of its construction, Manauara Shopping's environmental commitment has materialized in the re-use of waste, such as cement and asphalt. During the construction process, 500 thousand m3 of rainwater were collected, and the water collection system will continue to be used in the fire-fighting, irrigation and cleaning networks.
The shopping centre also features equipments of high energetic efficiency, large glass areas for better use of natural light and solar-powered water heating systems in the employees' dressing rooms. Another differentiating element in this development is the implementation of an effluent treatment station (ETS), which can treat more than 500 m3 of water, to be re-used in the sanitary facilities, irrigation of plants and shopping centre refrigeration system.
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 13 projects under development and 11 new projects in different phases of completion, with a total GLA of 1.1 million m2. In 2008 our Shopping Centres had more than 429 million visits.
Sonae Sierra Brasil, www.sonaesierra.com.br, is a shopping centre specialist with an expertise of international partners: Portugal's Sonae Sierra and U.S.A.'s DDR (Developers Diversified Realty). The company owns and manages 10 shopping centres under operation, and has an ongoing expansion strategy with the development of three new projects.
DDR (Developers Diversified Realty) (http://www.ddr.com/) - the group owns and manages 710 commercial real estate projects under operation and development, in 45 states in the US and in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Canada, with a total of 14.13 million m2. DDR is a self-managed real estate fund, which operates as a fully integrated company acquiring, developing, letting and managing shopping centres.