Navigation System Design for Shopping Center “Europa”

The shopping center “Europe” is in the central part of Kaliningrad. Initially, “Europe” functioned solely as a fashion center, but on April 27, 2013, “Europe” expanded by adding more selection of fashionable goods, as well as goods and services for beauty and health, technology, goods for children, catering, financial services, and relevant entertainment for the whole family. Specifically, the fashion gallery of Europe became home to another fifty new famous fashion and accessories stores, as well as a trendy shopping area for children and teenagers. One of the reasons Europe has become the most popular shopping center in Kaliningrad is the sheer amount of entertainment operators and catering enterprises that were added. A brand-new cinema with IMAX and 4DX technology, as well as Italian, German, Asian and American restaurants opened on the shopping center’s fourth floor. On the shopping center’s second floor, a supermarket “M.video” for household appliances and electronics opened its doors. Also, on the ground floor customers can conveniently buy fresh products and gourmet goods from fresh-market “Bon Ville”.

The concept of the shopping center “Europe” is to be the center of fashion in Kaliningrad in the same way that Europe is the fashion center of the world. The shopping center offers a wide assortment of fashionable clothes and shoes, several cafes and themed restaurants, a multiplex cinema, and an entertainment complex. In an area of 646,000 square feet, “Europe” fits by far the strongest pool of tenants in Kaliningrad, including well-known Russian and International brands.

“Europe” is a highly efficient commercial property and an excellent platform for tenants to make a profit. The managing company of “Europe” is “Res Property Management RUS”. With an approximate 29,000 visitors a day, “Europe” shopping center hosts everything from competitions and thematic promotions to seasonal and holiday fairs, exhibitions, and children’s courses. Even before the shopping center was revamped, the Europa Center won the CRE Awards for the best multifunctional center and the FIABCI Prix D’Excellence Awards for the Best Shopping Center from the Russian Council of Shopping Centers, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Our company has cooperated with “Europe” since 2006, beginning with the development of concept and zoning schemes by leading experts Kira and Ruben Kanayan. In 2012, Kira and Ruben Kanayan visited Kaliningrad to begin working on the second stage of the Europe shopping center which would maximize the utility of the shopping center. Consultants analyzed the local retail real estate market and consumer environment in Kaliningrad. Based on this research, Kira and Ruben Kanayan recommended how to refine the conceptualization of Europe and decide on the composition of tenants and zoning of rental areas. In the second stage, Armen Kanayan and his team of designers developed a new wayfinding and navigation system that was more appropriate for the large influx of customers. Our legacy as a company that continues to consult shopping centers through different stages was demonstrated in 2016 when our company made an expert assessment of the shopping center’s position in the Kaliningrad market and offered further recommendations for how to improve.

Thanks to this project, we have solved the main problem of enabling our visitors to navigate the entire area of the Europa shopping center easily and comfortably. The new navigation system has made the shopping center even more convenient for visitors. The developed and well-thought-out design of the navigation system perfectly fit the interior design, and gave the center the atmosphere of a charming European downtown shopping district. We are sure that further joint projects with Armen, Kira and Ruben Kanayan will be just as effective and will serve to achieve our common interests.