ALEJA Shopping Center in Ljubljana was chosen as a finalist for an International Design and Development Award.
ALEJA shopping center in Ljubljana, owned by the developer and operator SES Spar European Shopping Centers, has made it to the finals of the coveted ECSP Design and Development Awards 2023. The finalists were announced on the 1st of December 2022 at the MAPIC retail property trade fair in Cannes. The award will be presented this spring by the European Council of Shopping Places, Europe’s largest retail property association.
ALEJA shopping center was chosen as one of the three best shopping centers in the “New Center Developments over 15,000 to 45,000 sqm” category, alongside centers located in Germany and Serbia.
What Makes ALEJA Special?
ALEJA shopping center in Ljubljana, operating since May 2020, features a unique architectural design, a modern concept, as well as an exceptional shopping and leisure offer across 32,000 sqm. The shopping center is characterized by its mixed-use nature, housing more than 80 stores, first-class gastronomy, and a 6,200 sqm sports and recreation zone “ALEJA SKY” located on its roof. A pump track circuit is also available for use in front of the mall.
As a result, ALEJA has set new standards for retail properties, both in the Slovenian capital and beyond. Its mix of retail, gastronomy, and leisure facilities is in line with the latest international trends. The dragon, the heraldic symbol of the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, was the inspiration for its impressive exterior facade.
Christoph Andexlinger, Chief Operations Officer at SES stated:
The fact that ALEJA, our newest shopping center, has made it to the finals of an international award is extremely gratifying. We are eagerly looking forward to the presentation of the awards in spring 2023. We regard this nomination as recognition of our passion for developing vibrant shopping destinations of the highest customer relevance.
ECSP Design and Development Award
Since 1977, the European Design and Development Awards have been presented each year to the most outstanding new shopping center developments and refurbishments in Europe. The prizes are awarded by the European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP), formerly known as the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). The awards are regarded as the most prestigious in the field of European retail property. The ECSP Awards publicly recognize significant European projects in which the shopping experience plays a pivotal role.
SES Spar European Shopping Centers
SES is active as a developer, builder, and operator of shopping centers in six countries: Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. The company, which is headquartered in Salzburg, currently manages 30 shopping locations in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, with a total leasable area (GLA) of more than 830,000 sqm.
SES is the market leader in Austria and Slovenia for large-scale shopping centers. Overall, SES retail partners generated sales revenues in the amount of EUR 2.64 bn at SES shopping centers in 2021. SES also offers its know-how in the areas of project development, construction management, leasing of shop space, as well as center and facility management to external owners of shopping malls right from the outset.
SES centers have already received several national and international awards for architecture and design, sustainability, traffic flow concepts, and innovative marketing. In 2021, the ALEJA shopping center in Ljubljana won the internationally renowned Global RLI Award in the “International Shopping Centre – New Build” category. In 2022, SES was ranked first in terms of competence and performance in the operation of shopping centers by the tenants surveyed in the Austrian Shopping Center Performance Report.
SES is part of the SPAR Austria Group.
