Benoy has completed its first development with e-commerce giant Alibaba – the new Ali Centre in Hongqiao, Shanghai. Benoy was appointed as the Interior Designer, Signage and Wayfinding Designer and Retail Planner for the development. Located in the business district of Hongqiao, Shanghai, the new Ali Centre covers three plots and
TOP architectural practice, Leonard Design Architects, has won its bid to design a landmark sculpture for Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea, as part of a wider refurbishment of the award-winning duty-free shopping area. The landmark, designed for Incheon International Airport but commissioned by the three biggest
Barbara Res, the project manager behind Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue, will be speaking with journalist and broadcaster, Steph McGovern, at the UK Construction Week (UKCW) Stage on the 10th of October about her experience as a female engineer, the successes and challenges of working with Donald Trump,
The world is growing smaller by the day as technology gets more advanced and widely accessible. As such, consumer property demand is also changing in line with their broadening horizons, and real estate agents who want to truly focus on excellent customer service need to change with the times. How
International consultancy and construction company Mace Group won pitches for contracts to the value of £175 million with the help of the highly-regarded UK Training specialist Kissing With Confidence. This success is an endorsement of the specialist’s outstanding Pitchmaker programme, an intensive and immersive challenge designed to help business winners
Construction work on the 155,000 sq ft Etele Plaza in Budapest has begun. The mall, combining unique architectural solutions and digital services, will feature more fashion brands in one place than any other shopping centre in Hungary. The shopping and entertainment centre is expected to open in 2020. The area
China Hongqiao Group, the world’s largest aluminium producer has decided to expand its operations and improve overall capacities; a move in stark contrast to the reduced usage rate of aluminium and the weighed on prices for the light metal. As to why, we can only assume that the group maintains
Benoy has completed its first development with e-commerce giant Alibaba – the new Ali Centre in Hongqiao, Shanghai. Benoy was appointed as the Interior Designer, Signage and Wayfinding Designer and Retail Planner for the development. Located in the business district of Hongqiao, Shanghai, the new Ali Centre covers three plots and includes retail, commercial offices and two central squares. The development consists of four buildings covering a gross floor area of over 140,000m2. The lower floors of each will house new online and offline retail businesses which will be accessible to the public, while the upper floors are given to international Grade-A office spaces. The design philosophy behind the Ali Centre was to create an open and interconnected complex conscious of innovation and reflecting the characteristics of mid-to-high-end commercial needs. The overall concept looks at space maximisation, comfortable pedestrian flow and open-air spaces. As the Interior Designer, Benoy brought together simple elegance with science and technology to inform the interior style across each of the buildings. Through the logical division of indoor space, material use, lighting effects, colour application and furniture selection, Benoy’s team reflects a subtle, harmonious, comfortable and modern interior environment in line with Alibaba’s brand. Benoy also worked closely with Alibaba to ensure the retail and commercial office spaces would have their own identity and visibility yet still be united within the Ali Centre development. “Creating a sense of belonging from the outset was critical to our design approach. We wanted to reflect the Alibaba brand as a destination through colour and identifiable design elements from the moment a visitor, guest or worker enters the development,” said Simon Wong, Director at Benoy. Adhering to the design requirements outlined by Alibaba, Benoy created a strong arrival experience across the building’s lobbies – ensuring consistency for the e-commerce brand. The ‘Ali orange’ has been integrated throughout Benoy’s design, with the signature colour applied throughout the reception areas, information desks and elevator halls. Benoy has also introduced playful and eye-catching environmental graphics throughout the development. Such highlights include the oversized building numbering which can be found on the lobby glass curtain walls, the outdoor structural columns as well as the building entrances. The outdoor spatial design has also benefited from Benoy’s applications with the concept of the ‘Orange Ribbon’ applied to the two sunken courtyards which form focal points within the scheme. Extending from the first basement level to the fourth floor, the design connects across the series of interior and exterior spaces, and plays on the notion of brand consistency and visual connection. “The orange ribbon represents Alibaba as a brand which places connectivity at the heart of its approach and has revolutionised the online marketplace for business networks,” said Simon Wong. The Ali Centre in Hongqiao is the first project to be completed by Benoy for Alibaba and sets the foundation for future successful collaborations for the two companies. With the vision to attract top talent and develop an ‘intelligent business district’ within the Greater Hongqiao region, Ali Centre is set to establish itself as an engine for economic and commercial development for this growing area of Shanghai.
TOP architectural practice, Leonard Design Architects, has won its bid to design a landmark sculpture for Incheon International Airport, the largest airport in South Korea, as part of a wider refurbishment of the award-winning duty-free shopping area. The landmark, designed for Incheon International Airport but commissioned by the three biggest duty-free retailers in Korea: Lotte, Shilla and Shinsegae, will be located in the busiest part of the duty-free shopping area and therefore entries had to be nominated by the retailers to ensure the highest quality design. Leonard Design, an award-winning global architectural practice headquartered in Nottingham, with three further offices in London, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, Australia, was asked to pitch for the work in August 2017 and its designs were chosen above all other nominated designers. Ian Staples, director at Leonard Design, said: “We have been working with Lotte Duty Free for a number of years and more recently have been involved in the bid for the new duty-free license for terminal two of Incheon International Airport. As a result, Lotte Duty Free put us forward as the preferred designer of the landmark and our concept was selected by the airport.” The brief was to create a ‘one-of-a-kind’ landmark within the terminal space which had symbolic character to represent the new Incheon International Airport terminal, as well as sculptural qualities to celebrate the continuous development of the airport. The sculpture is also to house two independent information desks. Ian added: “We took inspiration from the airport itself as flight is central to every customer’s journey. We used birds, or more specifically Incheon’s dancing cranes, and their elegant wing form to influence our design. “We also introduced some modern techniques to uphold the high standard of the airport. As the brief was to create something ‘one-of-a-kind’ we decided to turn shiny metal into a media screen – a new and interesting challenge – which involved perforating the metal with varying intensity and placing LED lights behind to ensure a seamless transition. “While airports are a necessary transition for travelling, as the world gets smaller the demand for quality transport hubs has grown. Modern airports are now considered destinations in their own right and therefore fight to have stand-out features which create the best possible image. “There is a real drive in Asia to become the best and this has certainly influenced the narrative of the landmark. The cultural approach to design and delivery combined with the respect Korean’s hold for good design, helped the final product retain the core qualities of the concept and reflect the high quality of the terminal it will sit in.” For further information visit www.leonarddesignarchitects.com or follow @leonard_design on Twitter.
Barbara Res, the project manager behind Trump Tower on New York’s Fifth Avenue, will be speaking with journalist and broadcaster, Steph McGovern, at the UK Construction Week (UKCW) Stage on the 10th of October about her experience as a female engineer, the successes and challenges of working with Donald Trump, and sexual harassment in construction. Despite encountering decades of sexual discrimination, harassment and intimidation, she became the first woman to take charge of a major skyscraper in New York, and was hired to be the vice-president of the Trump Organisation, working for Trump for nearly 18 years, from 1978 to 1996. Initially supportive of Trump, she now speaks freely about how his attitude towards women has changed, She continues to voice strong views about women in construction and her philosophy on feminism, as well as speaking extensively to women’s groups and industry groups about construction and women’s role in it. Barbara published her memoir, ‘All Alone on the 68th Floor: How One Woman Changed the Face of Construction’, in 2013 and she is now coming to the UK to deliver a keynote presentation at the construction industry’s largest event, UK Construction Week, which returns to the NEC between the 9th and the 11th of October 2018. Reserve a free place at this major interview of a true pioneer in construction by registering online at: www.ukconstructionweek.com. Barbara Res’s views on why female engineers and tradeswomen are leaving construction in their thousands in North America can also be read at: www.ukconstructionweek.com/news/blog/barbara-res.
The world is growing smaller by the day as technology gets more advanced and widely accessible. As such, consumer property demand is also changing in line with their broadening horizons, and real estate agents who want to truly focus on excellent customer service need to change with the times. How the demands changing and what is the new role for a real estate agent? Keep on reading to find out! There is still a demand for the traditional estate agent who can offer local properties, but, estate agents now also need to cater to an altogether more internationally focussed customer who is looking to buy abroad for any of a number of different reasons. Whether the client is searching for a second home abroad or a holiday home they can rent out, real estate agents should be prepared for customers looking abroad. This is not only the case for big real estate agencies in for example London, but also for the smaller offices who operate local. Say for example a customer has been looking online for a villa for sale in Denia, the beautiful coastal town in Alicante, Spain. They are going to be looking to their estate agent to provide a number of different services, on top of simple offering a variety of properties to consider. This means that estate agents who want to win the trust, and repeated business, of their customers must be prepared to go the extra mile. Offering Comprehensive Service and Customer Understanding Background information is a key point of the service now expected of estate agents – you are offering property for sale in a specific area abroad, it’s up to you to understand the selling points of the region. Its climate, amenities, popularity with tourists and opportunities for investment are all parts of the essential knowledge required. The relevant information depends on understanding the goals of the customer. A customer who wants to buy a villa to retire to, or holiday in, is going to want different information to a customer who is looking to start or grow an investment. The modern, customer focussed estate agent also needs to be well versed in every aspect of the buying process, and both willing and able to offer the customer approachable help and advice through every step of the process. This could take the form of advising on essential documentation necessary to buy abroad, advice on local building code and regulations, as well as an overview of the financial state of the region if the property is for investment. Versatility Is Always the Goal Simply put, the modern real estate agent cannot be content to be tied to their local area if they’re going to appeal to an ever growing part of the population who are seeking to purchase a second property abroad. A good estate agent will be a “one stop shop” for all a potential customer’s needs and advice requirements, offering sound and accessible understanding for what can be a daunting prospect to many. Know the customer, know their needs, know their situation, and know their goals – with this information an attentive estate agent can make the process of buying a second property abroad easy and streamlined, which will guarantee that all important customer satisfaction.
International consultancy and construction company Mace Group won pitches for contracts to the value of £175 million with the help of the highly-regarded UK Training specialist Kissing With Confidence. This success is an endorsement of the specialist’s outstanding Pitchmaker programme, an intensive and immersive challenge designed to help business winners make the right emotional connection with the toughest of audiences. Mace Group’s business wins is the latest accomplishment in a period of rapid expansion for Kissing With Confidence, which has built a client portfolio that includes major banks, household name companies, Big Four firms and government departments. “Quantifying effect is a classic issue in training and the fact that Mace Group can identify £175 million of business which it has gained through our programmes is a major accolade,” said Russell Wardrop, co-founder and chief executive of Kissing With Confidence. “Nobody can guarantee that a client will win every pitch but Kissing With Confidence’s Pitchmaker programme has helped to gain business amounting to billions of pounds over the years.” Mace Group is currently a £1.97 billion company, operating in 21 sectors, such as higher education, from five global hubs. It has a concentrated focus on championing its people, whether as individuals or in teams. “There is no question we would not be where we are today as a business without the work Kissing With Confidence has done on our pitches. The results speak volumes,” said Terry Spraggett, business unit director at Mace Group. “There is a process, but it’s more than that. By the end of the session there is clarity, confidence and creativity.” “The hardest thing in the biggest pitches is deciding how robust to be, agreeing the line, then holding that line consistently from beginning to end. Kissing With Confidence facilitates that effortlessly, dealing assertively with the biggest of egos,” Terry added. “Then there is the skill in putting it all together, with an arm round the shoulder for some and a kick up the backside for others. Kissing With Confidence reaches out to everyone and makes them believe, especially those tasked with opening and closing.” Kissing With Confidence employs 12 people and it specialises in inspiring future leaders and developing effective and committed teams. It recently has embarked on a major sales growth campaign with the aim of taking turnover to £1.5 million.
Construction work on the 155,000 sq ft Etele Plaza in Budapest has begun. The mall, combining unique architectural solutions and digital services, will feature more fashion brands in one place than any other shopping centre in Hungary. The shopping and entertainment centre is expected to open in 2020. The area can be accessed in only 10 minutes from downtown Budapest via direct links as it is being constructed in the meeting point of a national/international railway station, underground line 4 that connects the area with the inner parts of the city and the entrance section of the M1 and M7 highways that lead towards Austria and Croatia. Estimated to attract around 40,000 customers every day from the capital, the suburbs and the further towns, Etele Plaza will have a modern design with 200 store units, a supermarket, restaurants, cafés, a multiplex cinema, a gym, a children’s play centre and a range of other services with nearly 1,300 parking lots. The exterior design of the shopping centre will be dominated by the largest curtain wall structure of Hungary – with a height and width of 30 meters – above the main entrance and the retracted metal boxes that jump out from the facades. In the internal area, along with the soft tracing, a nearly 200 square meter interactive LED display interface will bring the latest generation of the shopping centre design to Hungary. In the immediate vicinity of the eco-friendly shopping and entertainment centre, Futureal Group’s largest and iconic office development project, Budapest ONE Business Park is being built in Őrmező. Budapest ONE was one of the firsts in Hungary to obtain the international WELL Building Platinum Precertification, which focuses on the aspects having beneficial impacts on employees’ health and well-being while designing the buildings. “The construction of Budapest ONE and Etele Plaza will give a new momentum to the most important centre of South West Budapest,” said Tibor Tatár, CEO of Futureal.
China Hongqiao Group, the world’s largest aluminium producer has decided to expand its operations and improve overall capacities; a move in stark contrast to the reduced usage rate of aluminium and the weighed on prices for the light metal. As to why, we can only assume that the group maintains a positive outlook on the sector despite the bleak picture painted for many of its rivals, and with the group seeing a 39% annual increase up to 2015 despite production cuts, this would be of no real surprise. The expansion plans include an overall increase in capacity to 6m tonnes this year, building upon the already-considerable capacity of 5.19m achieved last year – this figure may vary depending on market conditions, of course, as the company’s Chief Executive illustrates: “If demand is good, we will stick with the plan. If not, we can slow down new capacity expansion or even suspend it.” It is predicted that some $2.3bn will be spent on the capacity improvements, which will see the refurbishment and retrofitting of some of the company’s coal-fired power plants in line with China’s new regulation for carbon emissions. Of course, with one of the primary reasons for the success of Chinese aluminium smelting revolving around the provision of cheap power and production costs, how these changes will affect China Honquiao is uncertain at this point. Hongquiao is also one of the few smelters in China to have set up the capacity to purchase excess inventory, a move which has been noted to support aluminium prices. Critics, however have cited that this has been unable to resolve the growing supply and demand imbalance of aluminium however, and with the group increasing overall production capacity, this imbalance is only expected to increase in severity. Only time will tell how this move will pay off for China Hongqiao, yet, it is still great to see some organisations maintaining an optimistic view of the market and determinedly pushing for growth.
