Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2017 | Page 32

Photo : Helin & Co Architects , Voima Graphics Oy

REDI for the Big Time

SRV is creating the perfect marriage of retail and residential in Kalasatama – with extra emphasis on experience
Shopping centres are reinventing themselves in a big way – and REDI , located in Kalasatama , Helsinki , aims to be among the pioneers of the new era . Implemented by SRV , REDI is expected to open its doors in autumn 2018 .

T he REDI shopping and experience centre promises to take Finland ’ s shopping centre scene to the next level , serving up not only a comprehensive retail offering but also new and surprising leisure-time options . The REDI shopping centre will , for example , provide opportunities to experience the thrill of flying as well as a 7D virtual theatre that stimulates all the senses and where movie action is made real through virtual glasses and motion simulators .

SRV ’ s Pia Svensk , Director of Retail Concepts for REDI , points out that a major change is taking place in Finland ’ s shopping centre market . “ Shopping centres are increasingly becoming meeting places where visitors want to have fun and stay longer ,” she says , adding that people are also seeking memorable experiences and entertainment there .
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Learning to Fly
Henceforth , REDI will teach its patrons to fly . The experience of flying at REDI will be offered by the free-fall simulator FÖÖNI , where you can fly and move in a stream of air using your own body .
The project is unique due to its convenient shopping centre location ; while it is true that similar simulators do exist around the world , they are often located far from city centres . With the launch REDI shopping centre , this gravity-defying activity will be within everyone ’ s reach . And what ’ s more , the passers-by in the shopping centre will also be able to follow the flyers in action through a glass wall .
Similarly exciting is the new climbing centre , featuring a 1,000 square metre training area and a 20-metre high climbing wall . Since Finland has around 50,000 climbing enthusiasts , the REDI climbing centre is expected to be a big hit , attracting as many as 100,000 visits per year .
Shop , Eat & Drink
While dedicated to delivering the Big Experience , there ’ s also some heavy-duty shopping to be done at REDI : the shopping centre will feature over 200 shops and restaurants and is expected to reach up to 12 million visitors in its first full year of operation .
According to Pia Svensk , the leasing of REDI ’ s coffee and restaurant facilities has gone extremely well . The shopping centre ’ s 38 restaurants , cafés , bars and takeaway points , representing a total of up to 3,500 customer places , have already been reserved . Svensk comments that SRV hasn ’ t had trouble filling the vacancies , since restaurant owners value the shopping centre ’ s central location , solid transport links and large customer streams .
REDI can also provide a real culinary innovation : the “ fast-casual ” dining area lines up ten restaurants side-by-side , offering dishes to suit all tastes . Each restaurant in the area will have in its disposal around 100 square metres of hall and kitchen facilities . In the restaurant offering , there will be a strong emphasis on street food .
At the same time , the leasing of the shopping centre is proceeding according to plan . Around 50 % of premises have been leased on binding agreements or letters of intent . Active negotiations are also presently under way with other players .
Going Vertical
Still , REDI is so much more than a shopping and experience centre . Using the shopping centre as base , so to the speak , SRV will build a real “ mini-Manhattan ”: there will be as many as eight towers ( six of them