Galleria Boulevard opens its doors

Friday, October 25 is the day. Galleria Boulevard in Kristianstad will open the first stage of three. FOJAB arkitekter, through Charlotte Kristensson, is behind the project. When it is completed in the fall of 2014, it will house 70 shops and eateries - a major addition to Kristianstad's central shopping area. As the name suggests, the mall has a central location in the city center, with one long side facing Östra Boulevarden and the other facing the canal.

In 2011, Steen & Ström bought the properties in a block that formed a dreary barrier between the eastern and western parts of the city. There was the obligatory Domushuset, a travel center and parking lots. Now, a building totaling 86 000 square meters is rising as a welcoming new front to the east. It will be the backdrop for a canal-side park with greenery and outdoor seating. On the other side, Östra Boulevarden is being rebuilt, reduced from 26 to 18 meters in width and becoming a more distinctive shopping street.

The shops on the ground floor have windows facing the boulevard and interact with the shops opposite. The façade above has been covered with a thin layer of perforated sheet metal and decorated with glass prisms. Placed in a pattern of varying angles, the prisms reflect sunlight and the colors of the surroundings down to street level.

- The large scale has clearly been a challenge to manage. Throughout the process, we have focused on creating a modern and beautiful building that is also in dialogue with the surrounding Renaissance town," says Charlotte Kristensson. "We have paid great attention to the details, and worked with a subtle color scheme, not least by allowing the character of the natural materials to take place. I see Galleria Boulevard as a proud new ring in Kristianstad's cityscape.

Even in the city center, shoppers need to park their cars. Since much of Kristianstad is below sea level, it was not possible to build an underground parking garage. Therefore, the parking for the 1100 cars has been placed on the upper floors of the building.

The first phase, which is now being inaugurated, has room for more than 15 new stores. When the facility is fully developed, visitors will experience a daylight-lit indoor square that extends over two floors. A given place for Kristianstad residents to meet and mingle.