Gulf Construction Online - Avenues unveils expansion plan

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The Avenues – Bahrain ... viewed from the Four Seasons Bahrain Bay.

Avenues unveils expansion plan

01 June 2017

King Faisal Corniche Development Company plans to launch the second phase of The Avenues – Bahrain, the kingdom’s first waterfront shopping mall.

The announcement comes as the Bahrain-based developer nears completion on the first phase of the premier shopping and leisure destination, which has a 1.5-km waterfront. With a leasing space of around 40,000 sq m, Phase One includes 130 retail stores.

Located opposite Bahrain Bay along King Faisal Highway, the project is expected to reinvigorate the area while providing a new lifestyle venue once it opens this October, said Kuwait-based Mabanee Company, the mall’s operator.

Shuaa Al Qati, the communications director of Mabanee Group, said approval has been obtained for the construction of Phase Two, which will add another 30,000 sq m of leasing space, as well as new districts which will include a suq-style area.

“We are finalising the official approval and working on the design of Phase Two of the development,” she said.

While a final budget has not been set for the second phase, it is expected to cost around 75 per cent of the cost of the first phase, which is worth BD55 million ($145 million), said Steve Bunce, the chief operation officer of Mabanee, who expects the reclamation work to start later this year.

The mall’s translucent roof is a key design feature.

The project, which is spread over a an area of 272,000 sq m, boasts a large family entertainment area, a 12-cinema theatre, food and beverage (F&B) outlets facing the sea, as well as an outdoor jogging track, kids play areas and parking at grade level for 1,500 vehicles.

Work on the mall began in September 2015 and currently most of the construction has been completed. “Final testing and commissioning of all systems is currently under way,” Bunce told Gulf Construction during a site tour last month.

Some 25 retail units have been handed over to the tenants for fit-out, he added.

International architectural practice Gensler has developed the mall’s architecture, interiors and landscaping design, while MSCEB is the engineering and lead consultant. Nass Contracting is the main contractor for the project.

Designed on the same lines as The Avenues in Kuwait, the mall brings a new concept to Bahrain, giving visitors the feeling of being outdoors while remaining indoors and protected from the heat by an ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) roof, which is a key design feature of the mall. This clear material allows sunlight to pass through but keeps the heat out, giving one a sense of shopping outdoors.

The development is divided into three districts, each with its own character. The Grand Avenue – the main spine of the mall – is gently curved and exudes a “street shopping” experience within a temperature-controlled environment and lined with palm trees. Other districts include the Forum, with a dome-shaped ETFE roof, which will be the events area, and the Entertainment district, the only area with a floor level above grade, which houses the 12 cinemas.

A waterfront boardwalk, which runs along the mall’s façade, will house F&B outlets and offer external seating decks and panoramic views of the bay. It can also be accessed by water taxis through a pier.

The Avenues – Bahrain will also include the Hilton Bahrain Bay Hotel & Residences.