Leisure and relaxation in the suburbs of Turin

The first phase of construction of Mondojuve Shopping Centre was completed in September 2017 with the opening of the first section of one of the most important retail projects currently underway in Italy. When completed, it will create a new 80,000 square-metre shopping centre on a more than 33-hectare site straddling the neighbouring municipalities of Vinovo and Nichelino in the southern outskirts of Turin.
The project was commissioned from the company Campi di Vinovo spa — Finanziaria Gilardi spa and will involve the construction of a complex consisting of two sections. The first is a 35,000 sq.m shopping centre already completed in the municipality of Nichelino and the other a retail park in Vinovo, construction of which began in the spring of 2018. The retail park will consist of four blocks devoted to non-food activities grouped around a multifunctional outdoor area which can be converted into a 6,000-person space for sports activities and events.
The architecture of Mondojuve was created by Design International, a company specialising in retail and tertiary design worldwide. Projects completed in Italy include the Il Centro shopping centre in Arese, built on the abandoned Alfa Romeo site and recipient of the Mapic Award in Cannes in 2016, and co-design of the new Centro Stile Ferrari in Maranello. The Mondojuve shopping centre was designed to fit into a suburban context of great historic and architectural value close to the Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi, a UNESCO World Heritage site designed by architect Filippo Juvarra. At the same time it promotes a new shopping mall concept backed by a brand that is now one of the drivers of a city grappling with a severe economic and employment crisis.
The shopping centre, with its 4,000-space car park and its welcoming and attractive architecture, can be easily reached thanks to the new road layout specially designed by the architects to ensure convenient access from the nearby ringroad. It has a double shopping arcade with 100 stores, a hypermarket and a food court inside two independent blocks separated by an open passageway. While the interiors feature highly contemporary spaces specially designed for shopping and leisure, the exteriors are an integral part of the whole and include open areas with a brightly-coloured 150-square-metre children’s play area.
Both inside and out, Italian ceramic tile demonstrates its exceptional versatility and ability to define every detail of the spaces. The two collections Evoke (in warm colours Sand and Beige) and Percorsi Extra (Pietra di Faedis finish) from Ceramiche Keope are used in large-size slabs — including a 20 mm extra-thick version — on the floors, where they combine design, functionality and sustainability.
According to Design International, «Mondojuve offers a unique experience as it harmoniously blends opportunities for retail alongside relaxation, leisure and catering. Central to the design was the focus on the green environment so that it responded sensitively to the beautiful site on which it stands. This is achieved though attention to detail in the planning of spaces, the materials used as well as the integrated approach to architecture and landscape. The outdoor spaces have been carefully crafted to provide places for activities for each season, such as a waterpark for children in summer and ice-rink in winter. The focus on sustainability can be seen in the extensive use of renewable technology including solar and photovoltaic panels, heat recovery on air handling and rainwater collection for irrigation.»