Sonae Sierra is the most awarded company at the ECSP awards

• The company received 2 awards and 1 commendation with: NorteShopping’s expansion (with Galleria and The CookBook), Plaza Mayor’s transformation project, and the QUARREE Wandsbek refurbishment being the winners of the most prestigious European awards for Shopping Places.
• The European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP) brings together the main industry protagonists that design, create, finance, develop, build and manage shopping centres throughout Europe.

Sierra, a multinational fully vertically integrated real estate player, has won 2 awards in the categories of: Best Renovation/Expansion for centres over 70.000 sqm with NorteShopping’s expansion and creation of Galleria and The CookBook; Best Renovation/Expansion for centres between 45.000 – 70.000 sqm with Plaza Mayor’s transformation project; and a commendation for Best Renovation/Expansion for centres between 15.000 – 45.000 sqm with Quarree Wandsbek’s refurbishment. These 3 awards present Sierra as a big winner of this Europe-wide edition night, proving the companies ground-breaking capacity to transform assets into the most attractive shopping and experience destinations. The awards, granted by the ECSP, recognise the excellency in commercial spaces across the continent, both with new creations and spaces that have been expanded or refurbished in the last 4 years.

Ana Guedes Oliveira, Executive Director, Asset Management, said: “We are very pleased with the recognition of the work done in these 3 assets, and the acknowledge from the most prestigious awards in the industry, attesting Sierra as leading creator of modern shopping destinations. As the standards in terms of design, experience, sustainability and the consumption habits of our visitors change, it is essential that we reshape the commercial spaces of the future, and revamp the real estate properties into constantly evolving and modern environments that maintain the confidence and attractiveness to visitors across the whole Europe. Our experience with the centres of our portfolio, as well as our clients, is the awarded proof of success in renovating and expanding assets that become landmarks in their region thanks to the design and expertise of Reify.”

Reshaping the future of shopping and experiences, with awarded expertise

The CookBook and GALLERIA were the two most recent complements of NorteShopping expansion, completing the overall €77 million project in the most iconic shopping destination in the north of Portugal. With around 1300sqm of good food, comfort, fun and modernity, The CookBook is NorteShopping‘s new food hall, bringing the trends and lifestyle of the famous traditional food markets, whilst simultaneously presenting a more modern and bolder design, where comfort is paramount. As for GALLERIA, it is a lot more than a commercial space, being a unique and pioneering concept in Portugal. It brings together exclusive brands, modern architecture and an elegant and sophisticated ambiance and décor, harmonising leisure, social interaction, and shopping within one elegant and sophisticated place.

To reinforce its position as a favourite shopping destination for the entire Andalucía region, Plaza Mayor began an important expansion and remodelling project in 2019, through an investment of €17 million, which created around 700 jobs. The shopping centre was completely refurbished, in line with a new, decorative design based on the concept of an “Andalusian town”, improving the customer experience and access. A high-quality gourmet area was also created to complement the existing gastronomic offer, while the fashion offer was expanded, with the arrival of important international operators, such as Zara, H&M and Stradivarius. With the remodelling, new gardens were introduced in common areas based on local species and a fauna that regulates the ecosystem. Alongside this, an irrigation system was connected to the local meteorological station, which reuses water thanks to a treatment and recirculation system, reducing overall water consumption.

In 2021, inspired by the green district of Wandsbek, Reify. design and remodelled the QUARREE for the owner Union Investment and gave it a unique, light, modern and distinctive design. The urban centre opened its doors again with a contemporary look, an expanded gastronomy area, modern services, and other innovations, offering a singular mix of international brands and local unique stores, with over 90 shops, cafés, restaurants, as well as a cinema, a fitness studio, a daycare center, and a Business School. All along we have kept its existing flair, implementing modern local elements, new shop fronts, while mall floor and ceiling brought a neighbourhood market feeling with these elements, that conveyed more lighting, transparencies, planting, and greenery, with a mix of timber and green allowing more comfort.

Sierra manages both NorteShopping (owned by Sierra Prime and Nuveen) and Plaza Mayor (owned by Sierra Prime), being the main shopping destinations in northern Portugal and Andalucía, respectively. QUARREE Wandsbek is a Union Investment property, managed and leased by Sonae Sierra.

The ECSP Awards publicly recognise the most significant European projects that focus on the shopping experience. Awarded by the European Council of Shopping Places, which brings together the different protagonists of the industry that design, create, finance, develop, build and manage shopping centres throughout Europe, the awards are a showcase for successful projects that offer excellence in retail. The ECSP Awards are given to new and refurbished shopping centres of all kinds throughout Europe, from new shopping centres to regeneration projects with a significant commercial component.