Opening of Shopping Precinct Area Sur, in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera, 07.11.2007
The Shopping Precinct Área Sur was opened last 7th November in Jerez comprising a retail space of 46.000 sq.m. as well as ample spaces for leisure purposes.
Promoted by Inmobiliaria Chamartín and designed by L35 Architects, Área Sur is a vast shopping and leisure centre which took almost three years to plan and 25 months to build.
The Shopping and Leisure Precinct Área Sur is a unique building of more than 178.000 sq.m. spread over three floors and almost 47.000 sq.m. of gross rentable area offering the best leisure and shopping facilities in Jerez de la Frontera and the south of Cádiz.
This commercial building turned towards its interior takes advantage of local architectural features influenced by the Mudejar period resulting in numerous blind and empty walls with lattice windows which regulate the temperature within more efficiently. The emphasis of such structure lies in the central axis for traffic forming a new street in which all the spaces are open towards the public. In the north-east corner of the eating area on the level dedicated to leisure activities, the building possesses an outdoor terrace surrounded by a wooden jalousie offering a view of the area. Leisure facilities were located on the second level so as to open at hours when the rest of the other retails areas are closed.
The ground floor comprises of more than thirty premises including a supermarket and important medium-sized electrical and home appliances retail outlets. The first level hosts more than seventy fashion stores and includes all the main market brands. The second level includes recreational facilities: eight movie theatres, a bowling centre and the best restaurants with indoor and outdoor terraces.
Concrete prefabricated panels will be used for most of the building’s facade combined with concrete blocks covered with a single pigmented coat of mortar for the façade’s shorter sections. A sandwich metal façade displaying various coloured metal plates used as a second layer form the walls of the movie theatre complex acting as a point of focus in this composition of volumes.
Various artistic creations complete the shopping centre’s architecture. Placed in various significant locations, they enhance the building’s features. The southern exterior entrance foyer displays a great steel and glass lattice structure aiming at softening the incoming sun light by using a series of panels exhibiting pieces of tinged glass. The walls and circular roofs in the Central Square and the Leisure Square show mural style screen printings in accordance with the type of activities offered in each space. A fountain appears in an Andalucian Farmhouse style patio on the floor dedicated to leisure activities surrounded by the restaurants’ terraces.
