In the city centre of Duisburg, Germany, a new shopping centre represents the future role of social and environmental stewardship in commercial development. In addition to providing an underserved retail market with 106,000 square meters and 90 outlets of prime shopping, the largest inner-city retail project in North Rhine-Westphalia blends seamlessly with the urban fabric, features sustainable systems and materials, and provides numerous benefits to the community. Completed in September 2008, the project was developed by Multi Development Germany GmbH for an investment subsidiary of Multi Corporation BV; PRC, a subsidiary of ARCADIS, provided project management services to the Dutch investor.

Constructed with local materials and a form that’s sensitive to its surroundings, the four-story shopping centre is made up of separate buildings connected by a glass-roofed circular mall. In addition to high-quality retail tenants, the building also includes ample parking, a direct underground railway link and a day-care centre that offers visitors three hours of supervised childcare free of charge. The project was awarded the BREEAM Environmental Award Certificate for its environmental systems, which include a 10,000 square meter lawn roof and a 25 percent reduction in energy consumption compared to other shopping centres.