Westfield Mall of the Netherlands | Ready for the future, with innovative concepts

Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is expected to be completed in Leidschendam in the second half of this year. After a successful opening of the first section in 2019, culminating in 150,000 visitors per week, the construction partners are now working their way through a period of intelligent lockdowns. "The execution is going well, as is the fine-tuning of the concepts," project director Teun Koek (URW) and architect Charlotte Griffioen (MVSA) tell us.

To recap: developer/owner URW (Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield) decided before the 2017 acquisition of Westfield that shopping center Leidsenhage, with a direct catchment area of 2.9 million people, is ideally positioned as the largest retail destination in the Netherlands. "Westfield Mall of the Netherlands, the final new name, should also be the best shopping center in the Netherlands after the redevelopment, with high-quality, covered residential areas and an iconic exterior facade," Koek said. "The shopping center will receive a strong quality boost in terms of spatiality, finishing and public functions. Of the existing stores, 90% is now owned by URW; we  expand to 280 stores, restaurants and leisure facilities. In the process, almost all storefronts will have a height of 7.5 meters."

Parts of the all-sided "voile façade" are already complete.

Innovative retail

URW is carrying out the redevelopment in close cooperation with the retailers, in a form of co-development. "All the retailers are keen, and we aim to work with retailers who themselves bring in innovative concepts within the spatial concept. The future belongs to a mix of sales channels, the so-called Omnichannel concept. Online is fine, but for experience, exclusivity and events you come to the Mall. The stores are not getting smaller, but better, with less warehouse function, more spaciousness and added value. In the case of the Mall, you don't just go to a distinctive mall, but to distinctive stores. An Etos store with us is much more than the one in an average shopping area, which makes the customer say: I will come back here again. We firmly believe in the dynamic interaction of spatial quality and innovative retail."

Voile-façade

The development process is also dynamic: concepts and zoning are still being fine-tuned during implementation. "The Dining Plaza at the cinema, for example, has still been changed in terms of design, with an interior finish that better matches the facade concept," says Griffioen. This so-called "voile façade" is an all-sided exterior façade of double-curved, concrete shells, with which the Mall makes one iconic gesture to its surroundings. The facade section with the largest cantilever, at the main entrances on the northwest side, is now under construction. "We are obviously monitoring this process closely. Albeit a little less on site than desired, but with the same result."

The lockdown leads to quieter and faster construction, Koek says. "Naturally, we would prefer visitor numbers to remain at the same level, but the construction will benefit. During construction, the large horizontal volume means that we have far less trouble with one-and-a-half-meter-distance issues than, say, a high-rise project. Apart from that, we notice that, for example, facade parties can free up some extra capacity during this period. With a caveat, I express the hope that we will still be able to deliver fully in 2020."

Wood-finished ceilings at the Central Plaza.
(Image: Get in the Picture, H. de Vries)

'The Gallery'

URW does so in a management role that would normally be assigned to a general contractor. "We have no general contractor, only side contractors - again, in the context of a dynamic process. The end result benefits from ownership. So: no diktat towards construction partners, but innovation and cross-pollination. Here and there we are tightening things up, for example with the addition of a WKO and a number of charging stations in the parking lots, but that is a small burden compared to the big goal: to create the best shopping center in the Netherlands, a destination of format for local, regional and national visitors." Griffioen: "With room for alternatives. For example, in the only place with a single ceiling height, the first floor below the food court, we are creating 'The Gallery': an area with a more intimate atmosphere in the form of pop up stores." In fresh market Fresh!, Robèrt van Beckhoven of "Heel Holland Bakt" will have his own bakery; appearance and events will add value. "For the Dutch shoppers, a brand name is not enough as a trigger, you have to offer something extra."