Sonae Sierra, inaugurated Uberlândia Shopping, its 11th shopping centre in Brazil.
Located in a region known as “Triângulo Mineiro”, Uberlândia Shopping represents a total investment of € 79 million. The new Centre, with 45,300 m2 of GLA, will be an important landmark for the city, for its sophistication and differentiating character, which will provide Uberlândia with new retail, culture and entertainment alternatives, in two levels that feature 201 shops, 6 of which are large dimension shops, 21 restaurants, a Walmart hypermarket, and 5 last generation Cinemark cinemas. It also features a large parking lot with 2,400 parking spaces and a bicycle park with 170 spaces, connected to the city’s urban bicycle path.
Unique architectural concept Uberlândia Shopping’s architecture is inspired by the lush vegetation and natural features of the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais. The decoration features the region’s colours and textures, which are present in the façades and mall. Asymmetry and different geometric shapes are prevalent in the architecture, with large glass areas for a better usage of natural light.
One of the main highlights of the centre’s architecture is the Food Court, with a glass wall and outdoor terrace with a clear view of the city. Located on a high area of the city, the centre can be seen from a great distance, which adds even more impact to its architecture. The building’s façade has three large green walls overlaid with plants, covering an area of approximately 800 m².
Sustainable centre Following Sonae Sierra’s Corporate Responsibility Policy, Uberlândia Shopping has adopted several measures to minimize its environmental impact and ensure the Safety and Health of employees. It was the second shopping centre in the world and the first in the Americas to obtain joint certification (ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001) of its integrated Safety, Health and Environment system during the construction stage of the project. The first was Le Terrazze, another Sonae Sierra centre, inaugurated last week in Italy.
Besides the adoption of architectural solutions such as the use of glass areas – which favour natural lighting and enable the saving of electric power – and the installation of a green wall in the façade, the centre’s operation will also feature several environmental measures, such as the use of air conditioning devices that use less water and spend less energy, taps with automatic timers and economic flushing in WC’s, with water volume control. Besides that, the centre will be illuminated with LED light fixtures, which spend up to 80% less energy than common light fixtures.