McAdam Architects recently unveiled their plans for a major Chinese trading and expo center in the city of Metz in Northern France. This feasibility study and outline concept will be an integrated trading complex with a total area(GBA) of over 6 million sqm. The EITC will include up to 3 million sqm of fixed frontage and flexible retail space,with additional hotel accommodation for up to 40,000 visitors and staff, 500,000 sqm logistical storage and customs clearance terminal facilities, to process up to 500 containers per day with warehouses for up to 64,000 pallets, and customer parking for over 80,000 cars. The development is divided into 4 potential construction phases, of approximately 1.5 million sqm per phase. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The EITC is to be serviced by a comprehensive road network and railway provision for both goods and visitors. The EITC is designed over 8 occupied levels, with a general building height of 30m. Levels -1 – 4 are primarily occupied by parking and logistics, whilst levels 5 – 8 are primarily retail floors with supporting food and beverage/ entertainment areas. Hotels are stand-alone buildings, located along the perimeter of the site.
Customer movement within the EITC is provided by a network of vertical travelators/escalators, through all levels of customer parking and retail levels. Horizontal movement within the retail levels is further aided by horizontal travelators along the Central spine mall, which runs the full length of the development, In addition a focal Central courtyard space is provided within each phase, to centralize vertical movement and orientation through all levels of parking and retail.
Service access within the EITC is provided by a 2 super core arrangement located north and south of the main spine mall, with dedicated lift and travelators that give access through all levels of the development from -2 /-1 service and logistical distribution levels to all retail levels.
The main development (EITC) will have a general building height of 30 m, providing within its volume, accommodation for primary usage as trade retail and logistics centre with provision of anticipated car parking associated with the developments scale. In addition food and beverage, entertainment/leisure and hotel amenities are also envisaged linking rooftop gardens/park.
The main retail levels are planned around a central spine grand mall, running the full length east/ west of the retail fl oor plates, with secondary perpendicular malls and tertiary parallel malls creating an urban grid plan through all retail levels. The main spine and tertiary malls are enhanced with horizontal circulation (travelators) whilst the central courts within each zone and the secondary malls have provision for vertical circulation (travelators) to facilitate access and orientation through all retail levels through to parking levels.
