Qatar’s shopping options have been enhanced with the opening of the main doors at The Gate Mall, the fashion and lifestyle destination located in the heart of West Bay. Many boutiques of high end brands are already open and several others are set to open in the coming months.“Opening of the main doors to the public is a significant milestone for us,” said Neville Koen, head of properties at The Gate.“The new main access points deliver a fresh experience to the public and add a sense of life and energy to The Gate that the architects first envisioned.”Vast skylights flood the shopping areas with natural light. The mall combines cutting edge interior design with a relaxing ambience. A number of areas in the mall are designed to feature exhibition spaces, hosting art and sculptures created especially for The Gate. A number of diverse works have been commissioned with local and international artists, including a crystal lighting installation that hangs prominently above a walkway. Several more pieces are currently in development and will soon be unveiled in key locations throughout the mall. “From the outset, our aim has been to create a shopping destination unlike anything else in the country,” said Yasser Hamad, general manager of developer Salam Bounian.“The Gate is not only a shopping and entertainment destination but also a gathering point for social, cultural and functional activities.”The interior highlights include Italian marble, polished granite, coloured glass, natural wood and polished metal works, as well as lighting fixtures and restrooms that are more often associated with five-star hotels.The Gate features two floors of retail space covering an area of 15,000,000sqm, dedicated to luxury fashion outlets with some food and beverage outlets.The second floor will soon be opened to host a leisure, entertainment and food destination with a concept that is entirely unique in Qatar. The third floor is designated for health, wellness and various service outlets. Hugo Boss, Just Cavalli, Givenchy and Versace Collection add to the list of world-leading fashion houses currently on offer in the mall. Boutiques in the mall are exceptionally fitted and finished, with most representing the brand’s first and only outlet in Qatar. The Gate incorporates Salam Stores, the country’s leading department store, which when launched in 1982 was West Bay’s first commercial outlet. Salam Stores is now the anchor tenant at The Gate Mall, and connects to it via four separate entrances.Boutiques offering contemporary fashion for men and women include La Martina, Diesel, Salam Denim, 7 For All Mankind, Boss Orange and Frankie Morello. Women’s fashion and accessories will include the likes of Rocco Barocco, Alberto Guardiani, Stuart Weitzman, Loriblu, Red Valentino, Versus, Rochas, Ice Iceberg, Galliano, ElieTahari, Catherine Malandrino, Edition 1 and Sharqiyat.Men’s fashion is represented by British designer Paul Smith, Italian fashion house Canali and the yachting brand Paul & Shark. For kids there is I PincoPallino, Why &1/2, Lola EtMoi and Monnalisa. Couture watches and jewellery are to be found at Breitling, Korloff/Zeneth and Al Baker Boutique, with the French interior décor specialist Mis en Demure offering furniture, accessories and objects for elegant homes and apartments. Doha Bank will also be opening a branch in the mall.Coming to the dining options, three outlets are currently on offer. Vapiano, opening soon, is an innovative European concept serving made-to-order hand tossed pizzas, fresh, house-made pasta and hand tossed gourmet salads. Farggi is a Spanish restaurant specialising in ice cream, fine pastries, chocolate, sandwiches and coffee. MBCO hails from Montreal in Canada, and is a bakery shop concept featuring freshly baked breads, gourmet sandwiches, desserts and exotic coffees.Opening shortly is the innovative Australian food emporium, Jones the Grocer., which focuses on providing natural ingredients produced by specialist, artisan suppliers and showcases these through a menu offered in the in-store designer cafe.As well as several drop off locations and street level parking bays, there is over 60,000sqm of parking within The Gate’s three basement levels.
Architectural excellence, eco-friendly
Rising above the four levels of shopping at The Gate Mall are three 13-storey towers, with an innovative glass bridge joining two of them and forming the gate shape to give The Gate its name and logo. Set to launch early in 2012, the towers are set to be home to some of Qatar’s leading businesses. The offices offer over 52,000sqm of commercial space, with a dedicated entrance, drop off areas and managed parking. These offices will be among the most technologically advanced in the region based on the Cisco converged IP network.The integrated IP backbone allows management of the facility from a central control centre, where lighting, air conditioning, security cameras, elevators, fire & safety and communications can be maintained at the touch of a button.The Gate will have a built-in efficiency system that minimises the impact on the environment. Double-glazed cladding and shaded surface areas will reduce the need for cooling at the height of summer and smart technologies will automatically optimise power usage. The Gate was developed by Salam Bounian, an associate of Salam International, a multinational company rooted in Qatar with interests in retail, construction, industry and logistics. Salam Bounian general manager Yasser Hamad observed that the development of the Gate was a natural progression of Salam’s work in Qatar since Salam has been a leader in the region’s luxury sector for decades. “Today, Salam has invested all of its energy and experience to create the concept for The Gate, to ensure that the Gate mall is the pinnacle of the Salam experience so far,” he added.The Gate has won ‘Best Development’ and ‘Best High Rise Architecture’ at the CNBC Arabian Property awards among its accolades.