New shopping place in downtown Belgrade – Rajiceva Shopping Center worth EUR 80 million opens

Rajiceva Shopping Center, the first shopping center located in the most famous street in Belgrade, Kneza Mihaila St, has opened its door to visitors, and certain brands will become available in Serbia for the first time.

The shopaholics’ Mecca, located in the very heart of Serbia’s capital, is a project of the Israeli company Ashtrom Group, worth EUR 80 million. Over 80 outlets take up around 15,300 m2, and the shopping mall also provides 450 underground parking spaces.

The construction of Rajiceva began three years ago, and, as Zachi Boneh, General Manager of Ashtrom International says, the investor’s idea was to integrate local heritage into the facility, by combining the old with the new.

– We invested a lot of effort in this project, both in the interior and the exterior. The development of Rajiceva Shopping Center, from the very beginning until this opening ceremony was primarily based on local Serbian market, through hiring local subcontractors, suppliers, designers and supervisors. During the construction phase, we employed more than 400 workers, and, once the project has been completed and the hotel opened, the number will exceed 600 – Boneh said.

He also announced the completion of the next phase of the project, the opening of Mama Shelter hotel, which is expected to take place in early 2018.

Rajiceva features the cluster concept, the concept of grouping outlets, and the basement level has been introduced for the first time, as Leasing Coordinator Vladimir Vuckovic explains. The newly opened shopping center in Belgrade therefore contains a supermarket, a pharmacy, a perfume store and other outlets on the basement level. This section is meant for everyday shopping and should facilitate shopping for the residents of the neighboring streets. The first two floors are meant for “real” shopping, offering numerous brands of handbags, footwear, clothing, accessories... The third floor is meant for fun and relaxation, and, as Vuckovic said, they also see it as a floor for children – there’s a LEGO store, a children’s playroom, a café, a restaurant...

In addition to the leading brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Scotch & Soda, Lindex, Springfield, Levis, Huawei, Timberland, Pandora, Esprit, Carpisa, Extreme Intimo, Nine West, Yamamay and many others, some other renowned brands have also appeared in Rajiceva Shopping Center.

– The brands making their premiere here are Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange, Go Active and Dormeo Home, whereas multibrand stores will also provide us with pleasant surprises, namely, Mia Maya (Moschino, Valentino Red, Emporio Armani...), Fashion & Friends (Guess, Lui Jo, Superdry...), Sportina (Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren, Morgan...) and Beosport (Quicksilver, O’Neill, The North Face...). The most popular brand of building blocks, the famous LEGO, now has its official store in Serbia for the first time – Vuckovic said.

The first specialized LEGO store has opened on the third floor on around 170 m2, offering a wide range of creative toys for children and adults, as well as exclusive lines unavailable in Serbia until now. Three exclusive lines, LEGO Architecture, LEGO Technik and LEGO Star Wars, as well as many other popular sets, have been offered. There’s also the special Pick-a-Brick wall, enabling the purchase of blocks by the kilogram, as well as the Build-a-Mini corner, where everyone can create their unique LEGO figurines.

The complex is built from permanent natural and industrial materials, using the latest technologies and honoring the historical legacy of the location, aiming to preserve the tradition of the most developed commercial center in the city, while meeting all the modern demand of the visitors, the architects say.

The architectural solution, which has been awarded at an international contest, is the work of academy member Milan Lojanica and Professor Vladimir Lojanica of the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade, and is also the fruit of several years of cooperation with all the competent institutions. Local subcontractors were hired in the construction exclusively.

– Before the works began, two phases of archeological explorations were conducted, involving the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Institute of Archeology. Artifacts from the II, IV and XVII century were found and have been reconstructed, preserved and presented. By the courtesy of the National Museum of Belgrade, remains of architectural plastic from the Roman age have been displayed in glass cases at the entrance to the facility – Lojanica said.

He explained that the new underground depot of the Belgrade City Library, taking up 1,000 m2, is also a part of the complex. The section will be connected to the library and have its own independent entrance.

The shopping center has special entrances from all sides, from the Kneza Mihaila, Kralja Petra, Pariska and Uzun Mirkova Streets, making it easily approachable to residents from all parts of Belgrade, as well as a 3-tier parking lot with 450 spaces (entrance from the Uzun Mirkova Street). The center opened for shoppers on September 14, at 6 p.m, on which date the parking was free, whereas parking for over half an hour is now charged for.

About the investor

The Rajiceva Shopping Center project was realized by ABD d.o.o, a company founded by Ashtrom Group, one of the biggest construction companies, a leader in real estate trade in Israel. Ashtrom Group was formed in 1963, and its portfolio features numerous big and complex projects throughout the world.

M.M.