Architectural appeal for an unforgettable shopping experience

Magical, icy, romantic… adjectives fail to adequately describe the seductive power of Prague, which is revealed in all its mystery and beauty through its architecture, a more than a thousand year journey from its Romanesque and Gothic past through to Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau and the more modern forms of recent times. This alone would be sufficient to explain why the Czech capital has become one of the most popular European destinations (the sixth, according to the 2018 report by Euromonitor International) and continues to attract a growing number of visitors in search of art and culture. But modern-day Prague is also focusing on the retail sector with the aim of developing tourism, housing and shopping. The Prague Style Outlets, a shopping mall strategically located close to the Václav Havel international airport to the north-west of Prague, fits in perfectly with this philosophy. It was developed as a joint venture between The Prague Outlet and Neinver, an international real estate company and the second largest European player in the retail outlet sector, for a total investment of 70 million euros. The concept, reflected in the brand name The Style Outlets, aims to provide a unique shopping experience based on the best possible combination of stores, value-added services and exclusive architectural design. The complete project was assigned to Czech firm Apris 3MP, which looked after design, architecture and engineering. On the southern side of the complex, a large white portal marks the main entrance to the outlet, which extends over two floors with a rectangular layout. The first level is used exclusively for car parking, while the second is entirely devoted to shopping. Following the initial construction stage, The Prague Style Outlets now has a useful retail space of 30,000 square metres, including a number of restaurants and 180 stores, all connected by central and perimeter concourses that serve to distribute the flows of shoppers. But the most distinctive characteristic of the project is the interior architecture. « The client wanted to recreate the atmospheres of Prague’s old city centre while at the same time opting for innovative modern solutions, » explained Jan Štorek, an engineer from Apris 3MP. Galleries and halls dotted with trees, romantic street lamps and vintage urban-style benches recall the grid of avenues and squares of the old city centre, while the storefronts are inspired by the architecture and old buildings of the capital. In the splendid walkways illuminated by natural light flooding in from the ceiling skylights, one can almost imagine being transported back to the nineteenth century. On the other hand, modern functionality comes to the fore in the choice of porcelain tiles from Keope, selected for their strength and durability for the floors and the access stairways leading to the other two entrances. The Moov collection, used here in the colour Ivory and sizes 60×60 cm and 120×120 cm, brings the soft colours of concrete to the 13,000 square metres of floor space, a contemporary touch that fits in perfectly with the design concept and the idea of reliving the city’s urban spirit in a relaxed manner. Another characteristic feature of the outlet is the range of services catering specifically for tourists and visitors arriving or departing from the airport.