Doha
Place Vendôme, United Developers’ QR5bn mixed-used development, was honoured earlier this month with the 2015 Best Future Project Award by Retail & Leisure International (RLI) magazine.
Currently under way in Lusail, Place Vendôme spans over 800,000sqm and will host two five-star luxury hotels, serviced apartments, a mall featuring up to 400 retail outlets and a central entertainment amphitheatre. The project, which broke ground on March 17, 2014, is on schedule and slated for opening in the third quarter of 2017.
RLI is a leading global publication chronicling the retail industry.
The award was presented during the 10th Global RLI Awards ceremony held in Dubai in conjunction with the annual RLI Connect forum.
Held for the first time in the Middle East, the forum focused on connecting retailers, leisure operators, developers and shopping mall owners from all corners of the globe.
The Place Vendôme delegation met with a number of retailers and industry peers who expressed interest in the project, according to a statement.
Place Vendôme competed against several projects, winning over three of the world’s leading retail projects. RLI’s panel of judges recognised Place Vendôme for its retail excellence, innovation in materials and equipment, new techniques and the positive economic impact that this development would have on the local communities, the statement notes.
Receiving the award, Place Vendôme’s project director Sean Kelly said: “We are honoured to receive this very prestigious award. This new milestone validates United Developers’ commitment to develop a premier luxury, lifestyle and leisure destination that will define a new generation of shopping. We believe that Place Vendôme will be recognised as a destination in Qatar and the Middle East. The project will set new standards for mixed-used development.”
Depicting “Luxury, Leisure and Lifestyle”, the project’s architectural language draws inspiration from Paris. It will be reminiscent of the famous high-end shopping street, Rue de la Paix, of which Place Vendôme is the starting point. Place Vendôme will also feature a canal running through it directly from the sea, making for an open plaza experience with cafes and restaurants overlooking the water.
Located in Lusail City, Qatar’s emerging master development and home to the host stadium of the opening and closing of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Place Vendôme aims to become the new centre of attraction for regional and international residents and visitors seeking a combination of varied entertainment and retail choices in one place, the statement adds.