The days of ‘us and them’ are truly gone in the world of shopping centre design and construction. No longer can the owner be at loggerheads with the builder. No longer can the builder just build what’s on the plans. Increasingly, nowadays every single stakeholder must be an integral part of the project team from the outset…
In recent years, the pace of evolution in shopping centres has escalated as owners and landlords re-imagine their spaces to encompass new, different and elevated roles in the communities they serve.
As a retail builder, this evolution is apparent in the increasingly creative and ambitious briefs we get from our clients. Shopping centre owners envision new in-centre uses to complement the anchor tenant and speciality mix, from childcare centres to community function rooms, interactive play spaces, eat streets and more.
This means more tenants with non-traditional retail needs and more stakeholders with an interest in how centres operate. Architects and designers are tasked with bringing uniformity and connection to new concepts within precincts. Perhaps even new construction techniques requiring new specialist trades.
As shopping centres evolve to encompass a wider range of uses and offerings, the role of the builder of these spaces must also evolve. Part of this is the need for builders to establish the appropriate collaborative environment from the outset.
With more stakeholders than ever before, it’s important for everyone to be on the same page from day one. Builders need to do more than just build; they need to balance each stakeholder’s needs because, ultimately, they are responsible for handing over a project that satisfies everyone.
An Australian-first by Eagers Automotive, Automall West sets a new benchmark in automotive retail
Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) – a key advantage for owners looking to integrate new concepts in their centres.
Mainbrace recently delivered the new Automall West precinct within Indooroopilly Shopping Centre in Brisbane. An Australian-first by Eagers Automotive, Automall West sets a new benchmark in automotive retail. The project consolidated a number of smaller tenancies into one mini-major tenancy totalling 2,400m2, becoming an auto-themed mall encompassing nine vehicle-branded showrooms supporting the already operational express service centre and workshop on levels 5 and 6.
Guests can access Automall West through the existing internal escalators as well as off the main mall and enjoy a brand immersion experience from initial browsing, through to purchase, delivery and servicing of their new or used car, all within the shopping centre. It also features a children’s playpark, tree-lined avenue and refreshment bar.
The challenges of the level 3 retail zone from a project perspective were many and varied, with the delivery of the precinct demanding strong collaboration from all key stakeholders.
Each showroom had its own specific design, feel and theme to match the manufacturer’s brand guidelines and intent. Each had a unique layout and finishes selection to provide a brand-specific retail guest experience conceived by individual design teams alongside Eagers Automotive’s Retail Project Manager. In addition, the common spaces needed to coordinate all the different elements into a cohesive, connected space. WIM Architects took on the responsibility of coordinating the final design intent with Mainbrace and Eagers Automotive.
The successful finished product can be attributed to an environment of collaboration Mainbrace formed from the outset with the teams from Eagers Automotive and WIM Architects
The project demanded more than 25 different floor finishes within the 2,400m2 tenancy. Many materials could only be sourced overseas from the manufacturer’s core suppliers in Germany, the United States, Poland, Ukraine and China. With minimal storage available and the centre remaining open and trading around the tenancy, there needed to be an intense focus on the coordination of materials and contractors, which often meant small, frequent deliveries prior to the centre’s opening, to be used immediately.
Despite some of these core project challenges; the successful finished product can be attributed to an environment of collaboration Mainbrace formed from the outset with the teams from Eagers Automotive and WIM Architects.
With the pace of shopping centre evolution set to intensify, with new concepts, themes and experiences, the need for builders to be the enablers of collaboration among an increasing number of stakeholders will only grow.
