Shopping promenade

The Eurostop shopping centre in the Swedish town of Halmstad, originally opened in 1991, recently underwent an ambitious renovation and extension project aimed at refreshing both its image and architecture. The project focused in particular on the main concourse, a kind of calling card for the entire shopping centre that comprises the entrance areas to the individual stores and relaxation and recreation spaces furnished with benches and seats. The project led by architect Josefine Dahl created a welcoming and eye-catching ceramic “carpet” in a palette of aesthetically pleasing colours and a skilful alternation of glossy and matt finishes, a solution that accentuates the dramatic and vibrant effect of the floor. In particular, a harmonious wave pattern in a variety of colours creates a highly original overall design extending along the entire main concourse, consisting of transit areas, entrance spaces and relaxation and seating areas.
For the approximately 3,500 square metre floor area, the architect chose Marte collection marble-effect porcelain tiles from Italian company Casalgrande Padana in a variety of sizes, colours and surface finishes. In particular, she used a combination of three different sizes (10×60 cm, 20×60 cm, 30×60 cm), three different colours (Azul Bahia, Botticino and Raggio di Luna) and two finishes (natural and polished) to create a ceramic carpet with outstanding aesthetic qualities and strong emotional appeal. The staggered installation pattern creates the impression of a snaking, organic movement that accompanies visitors as they make their way along the concourse. Coloured “waves” in tones ranging from lunar grey to an intense blue stand out against a paler Botticino colour background inspired by the beige colour of the eponymous marble. The most intensely coloured semicircles are located mainly at the entrances to the shops and serve to guide visitors along the walkways. The granitogres collection also offers functional characteristics ideally suited to a high traffic location such as a shopping centre, including resistance to wear and abrasion, staining and slip. The lighting design used in the shopping centre further enhances the different colours and surfaces of the floor in an interplay of chiaroscuro and matt-mirror finish effects.