(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Mall of Qatar (MOQ) has hosted a visit by a delegation of 21 top international German retail experts led by Rüdiger Pleus, president of the influential German Council of Shopping Centres.
The delegation included retail experts from leading architect practices in Berlin and Munchen, major shopping centre management firms, real estate investment companies and major retail chains from Germany and Switzerland, wanting to learn about the mall's "ground-breaking" approach to building and designing a "vast, state-of-the-art" 21st century shopping centre, according to a statement.
Shem Krey, managing director of MOQ, welcomed the delegates and said: "In Qatar, we have taken the development of shopping centres to a new level. Mall of Qatar is a flagship super-regional mall, designed to appeal to the 21st century shopper with its high ceilings, wide aisles, multiple skylights for natural light and stunning design, aimed at making visitors want to stay to enjoy the many facilities and features it offers. But what makes the mall unique is our complimentary entertainment extravaganza and showbiz programme throughout the year."
Simon Splittgerber, asset manager at Union Investment Real Estate, Hamburg, said: "The mall's massive dimensions are what makes it stand out, there is nothing like it in Europe. We were not only impressed with the mall's size but also the incredible combination of services that it will offer under one roof."
Architect Reinhard Liebig of Berlin said, "We've been advising shopping centres for 50 years in Germany but the size and kind of shops we deal with are nothing like the scale we can see here. We are especially interested in the Mall of Qatar as the concepts employed are so different from our retailing experience but have so much to offer in terms of design for the future."
Manfred Schalk, managing partner of Comfort High Street Consortium in Munchen said: "The size of the mall is a revelation, it dwarfs operations we deal with in Germany."
Marcus Bermayer, city planner from Wurzburg, said after his tour of the mall: "I was knocked out. It's the most amazing construction site I have ever visited, so clean and efficient and pushing the boundaries to achieve such massive building works."
Andreas Munch, executive board member of Migros, Switzerland's largest shopping centre group, said: "When we saw the different concepts being introduced here, it was breathtaking. Mall of Qatar has definitely redefined the shopping mall."
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