A preview of the upcoming global projects

A special event is being held with top-level encounters that will enable investors and experts to meet once again. MIPIM 2021 re-opens the doors to a sector that’s crucial to the European economy

For those involved in the real estate sector, the moment has come to return to face-to-face meetings. An eagerly-awaited opportunity to do just this will take the form of a special edition of the MIPIM 2021, to be held on 7 and 8 September. The physical presence and exhibition area will help make up for the long months of virtual

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communications, and the event is also providing a high-level selection of themes and participants. The appeal launched by the convention programmes is based on the idea that it’s time to re-establish connections, reflecting a new world and a new era. The event will link the three Ps of sustainability – People, in response to the growing demands of urban space users, Planet, to build a future based on low fossil fuel use and the circular economy, and Performance, to gain financial returns at all levels, local, national and global. The content will be closely linked to business, with the latest observations on real estate from a residential viewpoint, hospitality, health and logistics. Owners and investors will be able to meet and discuss face to face during the events held behind closed doors. The REinvest Reunion on 7 September will be the culminating event for institutional investors, an ideal opportunity for sovereign, pension and insurance funds, family offices and other capital holders to exchange information and opinions in the context of the post-pandemic recovery. The meeting will take a close look at the growing importance of ESG investments (Environmental, Social and Governance). The first day will also see an event on the theme of hospitality. Vanguelis Panayotis, CEO of MKG Consulting, will get together with top managers from the main international hotel chains - Xavier Grange of Accor, Karin Sheppard of InterContinental Hotels Group, Elsa Tobelem of Covivio Hotel - to discuss the strategies the industry will adopt to begin attracting investment in the sector once again in the post-pandemic stage. There will also be Geo Focus events during the two days of MIPIM 2021 on some large European markets like France, Germany and the UK, focussing on how real estate trends have felt the impact of the crisis and the opportunities for growth now taking shape. The event will close with the presentation of the MIPIM Awards for international architectural projects (pictured, a few shortlisted entries).

© Laurian Ghinitoiu

A new mixed-use high-rise development currently under construction along Atlanta’s BeltLine on the site of a former Georgia Power operations center. This new 1.1 million-square-foot project includes office space and street-level retail organized around a central public plaza. Designed to create new urban connections between Old Fourth Ward Park and the rapidly revitalizing Atlanta BeltLine corridor, 760 Ralph McGill Boulevard is organized around two portals. The first portal frames views of downtown, symbolizing a look towards the future, while the second portal connects to the historic Fourth Ward Park. The main plaza will connect to the planned light rail station on the BeltLine, and the building will incorporate a bike path that connects to the BeltLine Bicycle Trail and inner-city bike trails beyond. Integrated sustainable design features will reduce energy consumption, address stormwater runoff and encourage alternate forms of transportation. The building is targeting LEED® Gold Certification.

Renders by Proloog

Gate Central is a new mixed-use complex conceived in the spirit of sustainable urban development. Located a stone’s throw away from some of Milan’s most visited monuments, it will offer 1,700 sqm of residential and retail spaces while regenerating an area that was heavily bombed in wartime, reimagining it for public enjoyment and as a lively residential space. The four-story Gate Central building comprises eight new residential units and includes ground- and underground-floor retail space. The creation of a green, semi-public internal square that connects Via dei Fabbri to Corso di Porta Ticinese guarantees pedestrian accessibility, while a generously lit glass-clad stairway for residents illuminates the pedestrian area in front. The tranquil, secluded square, open to the public in the daytime, is designed as a new meeting place where people can come together and enjoy a series of leisure activities, or simply rest on the stone benches among the flowerbeds.

As the winning competition proposal, the headquarter is the last missing piece in a larger development called EVO, which is the Group’s largest industrial site in Italy. EVO is designed to satisfy the most recent energy efficiency standards, offering outstanding performance in terms of environmental impact. The new HQ are planned as NZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) and features geothermal heat pumps and radiant ceilings to further save energy and obtain additional internal comfort. The starting point of the design was to introduce the courtyard typology into its massing, it has a green garden on the ground floor and creates natural ventilation. Internally, the departments are distributed onto the various levels in accordance with their degree of relationship with the public and with the functions present in the nearby buildings. To increase connectivity between the departments and the people working in them, the largest departments are divided into two levels, internally connected with a spiral staircase through a generous double-height space.

Located in the Barra Sul neighbourhood, the development is designed to become a point of reference for high-end residential architecture. The tower, 170 meters high in a 25,000 square meters built area, will have and 53 floors including 67 apartments, between 194 and 429 square meters, and three large floors of multifunctional spaces, such as SPA, resting area, gym, and a terrace with a heated swimming pool with a view on the landscape of the city and of the seaside. The building will include also a heated swimming pool with propeller for swimming. On the external area there will be a mini track equipped with electric strollers in the kid’s area and a football court finished in black grass. The environments will feature pieces from the Tonino Lamborghini Home collection of furniture, ceramic wall tiles from the luxury Surfaces line, and taps from the Water Design collection.

The recently announced 38-unit tower, Pininfarina’s first residential development in Guatemala and first ever in Central America, will feature native Italian Carrara stone material to exude warm, inviting tones. Influenced by the historical Italian art and architecture, the sculpted Carrara marble reflects the firm’s ethos of ‘elegance, purity and innovation’. The art of sculpting –– manipulating mass and texture to mold light and space in order to convey a distinct message –– serves as the main inspiration behind the luxurious Torre Carra. As evidenced in the transformation of material, sourced from the mountains and delicately shaped into stunning organic forms, the process for designing the mid-rise residential tower follows a similar path: molding and refining to a unique, yet inviting aesthetic. The curved facade, featuring large terraces at each level, offers units abundant natural lighting and marks a definitive iconic factor of the design, seen from around the city. The building will include a gym, electric scooter and bike station, parking garage, concierge area, children’s playroom, pool with attached deck, and a BBQ pit. Seeking to further integrate the foliage of the local environment into the design, the team incorporated native flora throughout both private resident and amenity spaces. Torre Carra is slated to break ground in early 2022.

A new dynamic urban node and visual landmark in the heart of one of Sweden’s largest cities, the Travel Center will create a new public destination in the city center. It will physically connect to the existing city structure and become a crucial link over the railroad, unite transportation functions, and welcome all visitors with one clear identity. Construction is slated to begin in 2022 and is expected to be finalized in 2025. Along with the bus terminal and integrated platform area in Resecentrum is a bright, modern bicycle garage, travel services, commercial areas, restaurants, offices, event areas, and exhibition spaces. The facilities also include outdoor bicycle parking, taxi zones, areas for boarding and disembarking, as well as shortterm parking.

© Courtesy of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and Playtime