Al Futtaim announces BSBG-designed mall to be named Festival Plaza

Words by BSBG Media Team, Sunday 20 May 2018

Al Futtaim has announced more details on the highly anticipated lifestyle destination designed by BSBG, which is currently under construction in Jebel Ali. ‘Festival Plaza’, as it has now officially been named, is set to introduce a new concept to the retail sector in the emirate. It will also bring a second IKEA store to Dubai, as well as including high-end lifestyle, home, shopping and entertainment brands.

Festival Plaza is a modern retail offering that depends upon innovation and technological advancement. Both IKEA and Al Futtaim’s ACE Hardware are to become concept stores that target the provision of a new level of convenience for customers, as well as a high level of efficiency in terms of waste and power - supporting the UAE’s drive towards environmental sustainability.

The Plaza features 64,800 sq. metres of leasable space, and is set to host approximately 100 retail outlets, a food court and café-style dining, as well as a hypermarket and a flagship retail store which is yet to be announced. Ground was broken at the construction site back in March 2017, and the development is targeting completion in Q4 of 2019.

Festival Plaza - a Millennial shopping experience

Visitors to the mall development, which is located in close proximity to Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Discovery Gardens and the new Dubai South masterplan, will find a new, convenient and stress-free shopping experience. From offering the convenience of planning excursions online beforehand, to valet parking, home delivery and digital way-finding, Al Futtaim is targeting the authenticity of a physical shopping experience fused with the simplicity of an online purchase. In addition, the mall is to feature a state-of-the-art building management system which will target optimal efficiency in operations on a day-to-day basis.

In designing the concept for the mall and IKEA, BSBG was able to draw on its vast experience in the retail sector; experience which has been cultivated as a result of the successful delivery of projects as notable as The Beach, The Dubai Mall expansion projects, and Dubai Festival City, also for Al Futtaim.

BSBG’s Head of Design, Armin Buchbinder, gave us an insight into the work BSBG has carried out on the concept for the mall, saying: “The heart of the Festival Plaza development emanates from the linear, double height atrium, which is lined with shops on both sides. The atrium connects both entrances, one facing the neighbouring community, which opens up to a pedestrian plaza, providing outdoor seating and shading. The other entrance is oriented towards Sheikh Zayed Road, and gives the development a signature appearance. The internal shopping streets have been designed to optimise sightlines and retail visibility across levels, resulting in a minimalistic, modern design with voids and link bridges at the upper level. From a purely aesthetic perspective, the finished mall will be distinctive and precise, and when combined with the high tech components planned, we’re certain Festival Plaza will provide a first-rate shopping experience for the end-user.”

BSBG Media Team

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