Düsseldorf, June 30, 2009
Sonae Sierra's and Foncière Euris' Shopping Centre at Weiterstadt
Three months before its opening, 177 tenants are already descending on LOOP5
- Starting of the fitting out of 177 shops and restaurants
- 56,500 square metres of gross lettable area (GLA)
- 95% of the GLA already let
- Investment of € 265 million creates 1,000 jobs
- Opens to the public on the 9th of October 2009
Sonae Sierra and Foncière Euris have officially delivered the shops to the future LOOP5 tenants of the new shopping centre in Weiterstadt. From today, 177 tenants will start the works to realize their store concepts. During a press tour, the two co-owners and developers also provided an initial insight into the shopping centre's interior and presented the aviation design motto.
"LOOP5 has arrived punctually on the finishing line. In only 21 months, the large building site has been transformed into an almost completed shopping centre. You can already sense the great atmosphere that visitors will be able to enjoy from October onwards", states Ana Guedes Oliveira, Sonae Sierra Board Director responsible for Development in Europe. "We are pleased to now open the doors to our tenants, so they can create until the 9th of October an attractive and complete shopping and leisure offer for the whole family with their innovative shop concepts."
"With LOOP5, we are - in collaboration with Sonae Sierra - developing our second major project in Germany. The ALEXA in Berlin has clearly shown that our partnership and specialisation in high-end shopping centres are both hugely successful. In the first year following the opening of the shopping centre, the ALEXA has developed into a real visitor magnet and attracted twelve million visits", stated Pierre Féraud, Foncière Euris CEO. "We are expecting a similar vertical take-off with LOOP5."
The interior was presented with its central aviation motto and the four theme corridors, which are connected by an oval walk and which lead visitors through the fascinating history of aviation. At the main entrance and in the east part of the building, visitors will be welcomed by the age of jet set. From there, the south of the shopping centre pays homage to the pioneers of aerospace. The way continues through to the west wing, which is dedicated to contemporary aviation. The northern corridor finally presents the golden era of aviation with its colourful aluminium propeller airplanes. And there will be striking references to aerospace outside as well. The flat glass roof over the main entrance is reminiscent of a wing. The centre has a closed façade across the entire wall, whose lamellar structure is a reference to aircraft engineering. And the LOOP5 lettering is finished off with a long line in the form of a vapour trail.
The right tenant mix is successful
A permanent feature of the Sonae Sierra and Foncière Euris strategy is to create a tailor-made fully-comprehensive offering comprising retail, services, restaurants and entertainment for the entire family using innovative concepts. The LOOP5 tenant selection also reflects this. 95 percent of the gross lettable area (GLA) has already occupied with suppliers of high-end national and international brands as well as medium-sized regional retailers. The large tenants are Peek & Cloppenburg, C&A, H&M and Saturn. But LOOP5 is also offering space to local retailers, for instance the jeweller Techel, the toy store Faix & Söhne and the Vereinigte Volksbank Weiterstadt. 17 restaurants and coffee shops will provide diverse culinary delights. Currently, Sonae Sierra is completing the tenant mix and is in the final tenant selection phase, so that visitors will be treated to the best shopping and leisure offerings within the region.
A green shopping centre
As in the case of all Sonae Sierra Shopping centres, Loop5 is also being constructed in conformity with the Company Environmental Management System (EMS). To this end, the LOOP5 construction site's operation was certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 environmental standard a few months ago. The objective of the Sonae Sierra Green Center concept is to minimise the environmental impact resulting from the construction and operation of new shopping centres.
About Foncière Euris
Foncière Euris, www.fonciere-euris.fr, is a French stock exchange-listed company specialising in the development of shopping and leisure centres in Europe. The corporation forms alliances with top developers and invests in major projects that help urban regeneration. Foncière Euris is part of the Euris Group controlled by Jean-Charles Naouri. Foncière Euris also owns the Casino Group, France's second-largest stock exchange-listed retail chain.
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 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.
Contact partner:
Britta Sloan
Communication Manager Germany
Tel: (+49) 211 43616-230
Fax: (+49) 211 43616-244
b.sloan@sonaesierra.com