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“Doesn’t the modern retail park look like a shopping centre?” wonders the inexperi-
enced observer. “No,” the retail property developer usually replies indignantly. Shop
areas were more generous and the rigidly regulated product mix would allow a lot
less fashion. But is this what the consumers think? Probably not! Great Britain’s lea-
ding developer of retail parks, British Land, solves the problem in a way worth of
Solomon: Meanwhile, the firm conceives its assets according to purchase reasons
instead of retail formats. It is a fact that the outskirts format is in an identity crisis.
Originally conceived for the quick and comfortable shopping of provisions, conversi-
ons now have to create stimuli for rambling. Why? There is an trend towards consu-
mers running errands on the internet. Shopping experiences, however, can people
away from the mouse click. So they matter because these experiences extend the stay
in stores and thus the turnover.

France, you are better off!
In Deutschland setzt man lieber auf Modernisierung – etwa beim ... • In Germany, the focus is rather on ...
It is a shame that all developer resort to similar measures when fighting the drop in
... Kaufpark Eiche in Ahrensfelde, Entwurf: Maas und Partner. • ... modernisation: Kaufpark Eiche in Ahrensfelde.
sales caused by online shopping. Consequently, the boundaries between formats are
blurring – and with them the reasons to visit them: why drive to the outskirts when
the mall is nearby? Okay, there is free parking and a product range filling the “regional
supply gap”. But hand on heart: is that enough in the long term? No, people think in
France and promote the development of a new retail park typology: in 2007, Reims-
based developer Frey opened the first “Parc Commercial neuer Natur”. Meanwhile
there are 13 “Green Centres“, ten more are in the planning phase. The shopping parks
are characterised by an intensively greened pedestrian zone ambience and sustainable
architecture. The fact that urban design on greenfield sites can be bettered was not
least demonstrated by Compagnie de Phalsbourg in 2014 with their first Open Sky
Shopping Center ‘Waves’ in Metz. It sculpturally meanders along the motorway A31.
Built of reflective steel, the centre is definitely an eye-catcher for all people driving by.
And it also works for buyers because an unexpected intimacy prevails on the 17-hec- Foto/Abbildung: Kaufpark Eiche
tare area. Like a protective gesture, the heart-shaped line of shops is arranged around
the site. The 33,000-square metre sales area integrates the pedestrian zone, where the
reflective façade conjures a magic ambience. Beyond the shopping street, the site is
dominated by tree-lined avenues, plants, fountains, and ponds with glass pavilions for
restaurateurs. What one looks for in vein is the amounts of sheet metal typical for
retail parks. Parking lots are laid out in the centre of the shopping area – with parking
definitely being derived from park: the planting is so lush that many a guest asks for
the car park. “Open Sky Centers are neither mall nor specialist store, neither city nor
theme park and yet they have a bit of everything,” the spokesman of Compagnie de
Phalsbourg, Jean-Sylvain Camus, dares to give a definition. Gianni Ranaulo, architect
of Waves, adds: “The shopping setting is as artificial as a mall, but due to the open
layout of routes it appears like a pedestrian zone. Embedded in plants, the stores the
size of specialist markets lose their enormous presence. Even though consumption
dominates, at least at night when the fountains dance to light and music, one feels as
stricken as during the fireworks in Disneyworld: the crowning event of an eventful
day!” The developer from Paris has already implemented about 23 projects of this kind
in France or is currently planning them.

The outskirts of German cities still lack urban quality
Trotz der Sanierung des Ostsee Parks durch Schneidenbach & ... • Despite the refurbishment of the Ostsee Park ...
Additionally, the building law notoriously lags behind the development in the retail sec-
.... Vorberg zeigt sich in Rostock die fachmarkttypische Blechlawine. • ... the massive car park still prevails.
tor, and the city planners like to demonise new urbanism per se as an artificial world.
The digital change would encourage rethinking but the fear of the environs destroying
the city is deep. His recommendation for committed planners: Learn from the super-
market! The strategies of supermarkets demonstrate how customer loyalty can be
generated through atmosphere and campaigns instead of only through the merchandi-
se. The most recent example is the 3,000-square metre Rewe Heidelberg. From an archi-
tectural point of view, aesthetic and event areas as well as cycle paths and public trans-
port connections are required because it is evidently a myth that retail parks a purely
places for motorists. Turning markets into brands! Although the pure shopping functi-
on more and more yields to spatial design, it is not beauty alone but special characte-
ristics that secure competitiveness. The Waves is related to water, heart and green – a
characteristic that makes it clearly stand out from other locations. Regaining design
sovereignty! Digitalisation also has an analogue side. The more virtual the worlds the
more important are authenticity, ambience and aesthetics in the real world. Today, Fotos: Ostsee Park
architects are in the comfortable situation that they can regain design sovereignty.

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