Deniz Mall opens to the public in Baku
Deniz Mall, the much-anticipated new retail, leisure and entertainment redevelopment concept for the former Baku Entertainment Centre, has soft-opened to the public in central Baku.
Shops and public areas in the much-anticipated scheme will be open to the public, with social distancing measures in place and a requirement for visitors to wear face masks in line with government health regulations. Cafés and restaurants will remain closed until it is considered safe to open them, as will the entertainment venues and cinema theatres.
Located on land reclaimed from the Caspian Sea, Deniz Mall is a 120,000m² entertainment, retail, leisure and dining destination over five floors, housing the largest shopping centre in the Caucasus region. A ‘flame’ tower is the centrepiece of eight star-shaped wings inspired by Azerbaijan’s national emblem.
Chapman Taylor designed the original building as a congress centre in 2007, and now the building has been repurposed, keeping the same design, to become Azerbaijan's premier entertainment venue. Our redesign for the interior was planned to harmonise with the exterior design, ensuring a single homogenous concept for the centre.
The building houses a family-orientated day-out experience, including world-class entertainment venues, serving a much-needed role for the city and the surrounding region.
There are 25 cafés and restaurants, including outdoor restaurant terraces and a sky-bar, in which people can relax and look out at unrivalled views over the Caspian.
Retail and F&B brands include Nike, Swarovski, YARGICI, Pandora, Paul, Go Sport, Alma Store, Lviv Handmade Chocolate and CinemaPlus, while new names for Azerbaijan will include the Casa Culinary Art School of Azerbaijan, Big Chef, TGI Friday and Kinderland.
The development's complex geometry was modelled by Chapman Taylor in BIM software, as well as deliverables including drawings, schedules and visualisations. Chapman Taylor’s London studio was appointed to provide interior design services for the building’s redevelopment in 2016.
Congratulations to our client Pasha Construction and to everyone involved in realising the Deniz Mall development. We wish everyone there many successful years ahead.