2007 Unibail-Rodamco Annual Report (5,2 Mb)

France
RIVÉTOILE: THE SHOPPING AND LEISURE
CENTRE OF TOMORROW IS ALREADY HERE
Rivétoile, a next-generation shopping and leisure centre, will open
in 2008. The project grew out of Strasbourg’s determination to
revitalise an industrial wasteland on a Rhine canal to create a new
urban district capable of generating a new economic and social
dynamic in the region. The architectural programme encompasses
eight offi ce and residential buildings, cultural facilities including a
dance and music centre, a media library, a theatre, a multiplex
cinema and the city’s archives on top of the 27,000 m 2 of retail
space developed by Unibail-Rodamco. The indoor-outdoor
complex, linked to the historic centre of Strasbourg by bridges and
walkways, features a waterside promenade fl anked by café and
restaurant terraces and a special events area for seasonal markets
and street festivals. The centre, a fully pedestrian area situated at the
juncture of two major highways, will be served by a 1,800-space
carpark along with tramways, bus lines and bicycle lanes.
The new centre, reflecting Unibail-Rodamco’s philosophy of
integrating shopping and leisure centres into major town planning
projects, is a concrete translation of future-oriented societal,
economic and urban policies. Located on the German border,
the centre will foster cultural mixing between the two countries,
create several thousands of jobs and serve as a retail hub for
the Strasbourg-Kehl (Germany) corridor with a catchment area
of over 500,000 people. The commercial premises will house a
hypermarket, ten medium-sized stores and some fi fty smaller shops
and restaurants. Special attention has been given to selecting
tenants, including German trade names, committed to promoting
innovative retail concepts. The centre is fully pre-let.
The architecture of Rivétoile, designed by Chapman Taylor and
Merat & Partners, emphasises the centre’s harmonious inclusion
in the city environment. The shopping centre is made up of four
successive “worlds” bathed in light from glass roofs, each one
expressing a specifi c cultural theme in its architecture and décor,
with fl uid, practical links to corresponding leisure activities. Stateof-the-art
technology and design, in keeping with the highest
sustainable development standards, has been implemented to
save energy and reduce CO 2
emissions in lighting, heating and
ventilation. Finally, all logistical functions such as delivery areas,
parking, the waste sorting system and facilities management have
been placed underground to protect the visual integrity of the
complex and prevent noise pollution.
Rivétoile