Design of SoloWay Mall

The Soloway shopping center will be located in the administrative and cultural center of Kirov. SoloWay’s close proximity to the city’s administration, the regional prosecutor’s office, the regional court, and the central square of Kirov – Theater Square, make it an ideal place to build a shopping center.

Rather than starting from scratch, Soloway will be the result of redeveloped buildings located within the boundaries of the urban planning complex of monuments in the central part of Kirov (the House of the merchant Zlygostev and others). While the historical architecture of the facade will be preserved, the interior design of the center will become completely modern. As of 2019, the facade’s reconstruction is finished while the underground parking and load-bearing structures are still being erected. The tenants will enjoy comfortable premises that meet all modern requirements: lighting, communications and power, access to WiFi, energy saving options. Also, the building is equipped with escalators, three passenger elevators, as well as several freight elevators. As planned, the center will boast four floors that will be populated with shops, cafes and restaurants, and a two-level parking space that can accommodate 127 cars.

The concept of the interior design is the quintessential fairytale forest. From the vantage point of the central atrium, one can get an excellent view of the tree’s branches that extending upwards support the ornamental crown. The lights illuminating the tree imitate the sun’s rays shining in the forest. Furthermore, the ends of the friezes are trimmed with decorative metal sheets that imitate the structure of water. Adding to the fairytale forest aura, the atrium is decorated with flowerpots that as they descend resemble a green waterfall. Keeping the water motif, the ceilings in the galleries and the atrium are decorated with waves. The waves create a sense of movement that help make the mystical forest come alive. In general, the interior design has an eco-friendly style with wood-like handrails, light tiles, an overall warm and light color scheme.

Facts about the shopping center “Soloway”:

• Floors: 4 floors
• Parking: ground and underground for 127 cars
• Type of shopping center: district value
• Anchor tenants: food supermarket, fashion department store, digital technology supermarket, entertainment and leisure center, cafes and restaurants.

The shopping center “Soloway” was developed by “Retail Design Pro” from 2015 to 2019. Firstly, Kira and Ruben Kanayan conducted a comprehensive analysis of the competitive and consumer factors in the environment. Next, they developed the concept and main function of the shopping mall as well as strategizing over what tenants the shopping mall should have. Our team worked closely with the authorities over the zoning schemes, the layout of rental areas, placement of atriums, galleries, and thematic zones. Beginning in 2020, the design and branding department of our company headed by Armen Kanayan, developed naming, branding, the interior design and facade lighting design. Since then Retail Design Pro has provided ongoing consulting overseeing implementation of this project.

As of 2018, the population of Kirov stands at 507,155 people. If one takes into account the agglomeration of the city, the population is approximately 750,000 people. The whole Kirov region has 1,283,238 people.

Kirov, the administrative center of the Kirov region, is located on the Vyatka River which is 896 km east of Moscow. The city has cultural, historical, scientific and industrial significance. Also, the main railway lines pass through Kirov, making the city important for transportation between the European part of Russia and the Urals, Siberia and the Far East of Russia.

As was stated before, large state and public institutions, offices, universities, cultural enterprises of citywide and regional significance are concentrated in the immediate surroundings of Soloway Mall. These include the Kirov Regional Library, Kirov Puppet Theatre, Kirov Regional Drama Theatre, Vyatka Art Museum and Kirov Regional Scientific Library. Also several buildings of Vyatka State University,  Kirov Medical College and a children’s music school are located nearby. 40% of the surroundings are residential with apartment complexes ranging from 3 to 10 floors. As the shopping mall is within 210 meters of Theater Square, Soloway will be a vibrant shopping mall that will add to the cultural life of the city. Soloway is very accessible because the nearest public transport stops are within a 5-minute walk: “Theater Square” and “October Cinema”. Buses, trolleybuses and taxis connect the central part of the city with all districts of Kirov.

An additional enticing advantage is the presence of delicacies and special catering establishments, as well as unique goods and brands not presented in other shopping centers in Kirov. In terms of attracting young people, Soloway plans to host tech stores, fashion brands, entertainments and art-café. The assortment of the Soloway shopping center will include a wide selection of tenants in following categories.

Key commodity groups: 

• Food and consumer goods.
• Digital technology, communications, computers.
• Several catering establishments of different formats:
  • 1 – coffee shops
  • 2 – fast food cafeteria
  • 3 – large cafes that can be reserved for programs
  • 4 – restaurants with VIP areas that have a view of the historical buildings

Related product groups:

• Impulse goods: perfumes and cosmetics, gifts, souvenirs, leather goods, jewelry, etc.
• Services: a personal services center, specialized services, a small beauty salon.
• Entertainment services.
• Fashion goods.
• Leisure and hobby goods.

An award that covers all segments of the real estate market and recognizes projects that attain the golden standards of the industry at the international level.

The Proestate aspect of the award analyzes the main segments of the Russian real estate market, including the residential, commercial real estate, and re-development projects.

The Toby aspect of the award identifies the best companies at management that harness the full potential of the building. Lotos Plaza received the “Outstanding Building of the Year” distinction, one of the most prestigious professional recognition awards in the commercial real estate and management market across the world.

The professional PROESTATE & TOBY Awards is held by the Organizing Committee of the PROESTATE International Investment Forum and the American Homeowners and Building Managers Association (BOMA International) with the support of the Russian Guild of Managers and Developers and the Moscow Investors Association.