Multi Vastgoed and 3W transform concrete colossus, gothic church and monuments into a unique new retail concept
The inner city retail centre concept Entre Deux in Maastricht, the Netherlands, will be officially opened on 24 November 2006. The developers, Multi Vastgoed and 3W, have transformed a disused 1970s shopping complex into a stylish shopping district. Entre Deux has re-established its architectural integration with the surrounding inner-city area thanks to the careful selection of building materials and the inclusion of six historical buildings. The developers, owner Fortis Vastgoed Beleggingen, Q-Park and the Municipality of Maastricht, invested approximately € 110 million in the development of the retail area, apartments and public space, the renovation of the Dominican Church, and parking garage with 200 spaces.Exploiting the natural variations in height between the Markt and Vrijthof, three shopping levels were created, offering approximately 12,000 m² of retail space. The Entre Deux re-development has bulked up the retail arsenal of the historic town centre (105,000 m²) by more than 10 percent. The 31 tenants include international fashion and design stores and local food outlets, as well as numerous specialist stores. Entre Deux is set to boost Maastricht’s image as a centre for fashion with top-brand fashion retailers such as Hennes & Mauritz, Zara, Mango and New Yorker. This was once an impossibility due to the small-scale retail infrastructure of Maastricht. Entre Deux has consolidated the inner-city retail centre of Maastricht, one of the most popular shopping cities in the Netherlands, boasting the second-highest retail rental rates of Holland after the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. The city centre attracts over 15 million visitors a year from the Netherlands and overseas. Over half of the Dutch population have visited Maastricht at least once in their lives.Iin perfect harmonyThe redevelopment of Entre Deux was completed in less than five years. Its creation was widely endorsed by the residents of Maastricht, keen to voice their dissatisfaction with the existing ‘Entre Deux’ complex. The concept was designed by T+T Design, associates of Multi Vastgoed, and incorporates a covered shopping street between the Markt and Vrijthof. Entre Deux owes its stylish design to the Maastricht-based architect Ger Rosier of Arn Meijs Architekten. The result is a timeless design, in perfect harmony with the historic city centre thanks to the use of characteristic Maastricht materials (muschelkalk or shell limestone), colours (oxblood red) and intricate details (window frames).
Gothic church
The design incorporates the adjacent Dominican Church and five historic city monuments. Although the Dominican Church dates from 1292 and is one of the oldest Gothic churches in the Netherlands, it had long since been relegated to the status of bicycle shed. By converting the church into a bookstore and cultural meeting centre, the Municipality of Maastricht was able to restore a number of valuable frescos to their former glory, including a mural depicting the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, dating from 1337. Selexys Dominicanen, the bookstore housed in the church, doubles as a cultural forum. Visitors can look down from high above on the hubbub of activity and paintings.
Retailers
The retail stores include Zara, Jack & Jones, Het Huis, Björn Borg, Mango, We Women, Hennes & Mauritz, Men At Work, Ziengs, Geox, New Yorker, We Men, America Today, Protest, Bruno Antognini, Sabon, Un Jour Ailleurs, Grand Café Amadeus, Hans Anders, Siebel, Expo, Crumpler, Selexys Dominicanen, Xenos, The Gamestore, Aktie Sport, Intertoys, Cook & Co and La Place. During October and November 2006, the developers, in consultation with the new retailers, drew up a broad introduction programme, including numerous celebrity performances to unveil the new retail centre to the general public.
Apartments
The re-development incorporates 19 luxury city apartments, built above the Entre Deux retail centre. These highly sought-after apartments command views over the history city centre of Maastricht, and are situated along a green roof terrace. The apartments range in size from 95 to 275 m². Sales will commence in the spring of 2007.
Profile 3W
3W aims to create living environments in which people can live freely and comfortably. We develop highly innovative, inner-city total design projects with an unmatched degree of customisation and safety. A good collaboration with the general public and private partners is a key criterion in this respect. Unique locations, coupled with distinctive architecture and a surprising selection of building materials complete 3W’s vision and mission: to deliver future-driven and original work. 3W specialises in (inner-city) development projects in the south of the Netherlands, including Entre Deux, Mosae Forum, Belvédère and De Colonel in Maastricht, the Maasboulevard project in Venlo and the town centre plans for Sittard-Geleen.For further information, please visit www.3winfo.nl
Profile Multi Vastgoed
Multi Vastgoed is part of Multi Corporation, a group of companies carrying out various disciplines throughout Europe in property development (Multi Development), investment (Multi Investment), asset management (Multi Asset Management)t and mall management (Multi Mall Management). With a Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund as its new financial partner, MultiULTI has strengthened its position to become an investing developer and move forward on its path to further growth. MultiULTI’s strategy is and remains focused on developing projects in European countries where significant growth is expected.Across Europe, MultiULTI’s inner-city projects, shopping centres and business parks appeal to peoples’ imagination. The ‘Design & Development’ formula strongly focuses on design quality and MultiULTI has its own design group - T+T Design - for urban development and architectural concepts. MultiULTI’s projects are internationally recognized for their original and innovative nature, quality of architectural character and profound sensitivity to the blending of urban design. Our developments regularly act as the engine for regenerating a city or region. By respecting local culture and style we develop projects with which people can easily identify.Multi Development’s activities in 18 countries in Europe are conducted from offices in The Netherlands (head-office), Belgium, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
Fortis Vastgoed Beleggingen
Fortis Vastgoed Beleggingen is part of Fortis Verzekeringen Nederland N.V., which comprises a number of Dutch insurance companies including Ardanta, De Amersfoortse, Europeesche, Falcon Leven and Fortis ASR. With an average market share of over 10%, the group is the third largest insurance company in The Netherlands. Fortis Verzekeringen Nederland N.V. is part of Fortis, a global financial service provider in the fields of banking and insurance. We offer private, business and institutional customers a broad range of products and services via our own channels, in partnership with insurance brokers, or through other distribution partners. With a market capitalisation of 42,8 billion Euros (31/10/2006), Fortis is one of the “Top Twenty” biggest financial institutions in Europe. Thanks to our long-term solvency, our presence in 50 countries and the dedication and professional attitude of our 58,000-strong staff, we are able to combine global prowess with local flexibility, a combination that guarantees optimal service solutions for our customers. Fortis Vastgoed Beleggingen is a real estate management company with a broad customer base. Its service package is available to Fortis subsidiaries as well as institutional and private investors. The company focuses exclusively on the Dutch market and boasts an impressive real estate portfolio, from apartments and retail units to office space and (multi-storey) car parks. This makes Fortis a formidable real estate player. The company’s real estate portfolio in The Netherlands is approaching the 5 billion Euro mark. Fortis Vastgoed Beleggingen is always in search of attractive real estate projects in the best locations. To this end, we seek out projects that are enduringly distinctive and provide Added Value compared to other, competing projects. The acquisition of the ‘Entre Deux’ shopping centre underlines our mission. For further information, please visit www.fortisvastgoed.nl