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17.05.2021

“If you think you know Potsdamer Platz, think again!”

+++ Revised March 2022 +++

One of the most comprehensive and exciting repositioning projects in recent years is currently underway in the heart of Berlin. Potsdamer Platz, a location steeped in history, is being revitalized and made fit for the future. The most important element of this major project is the reinvention of the shopping center long known as “Potsdamer Platz Shopping Arkaden,” with the goal of creating Berlin’s new top destination for shopping, dining, and leisure. To achieve this, the investor Brookfield Properties and ECE have joined forces.

“We’re not just trying to create a place to shop. We’re creating an emotional place that brings people together and offers a truly memorable experience, where they can shop and enjoy a great meal. That’s the future,” emphasizes Jonathan Doughty. The Global Head of Foodservice, Leisure & Placemaking at ECE, together with his team, is responsible for the new concept and repositioning the shopping destination, and knows exactly what he wants it to be – a place where people work, where people live, where they come to share experiences and enjoy themselves. Potsdamer Platz is the only place in Berlin that is centrally located and offers something for everyone – during the day, at night, and on weekends. Retail is as much a part of it as movie theaters, fine dining, and numerous other recreational activities – in other words, a one-stop shop – beautifully designed and curated. Doughty makes his expectations for the project clear: “Even though it’s currently hard to imagine, this place will be buzzing with life again. Berliners, tourists, hundreds of people who, day after day, will flock to the theaters and then end their day in one of the restaurants and bars. And then there are the thousands of employees from the surrounding office buildings who will populate the site day in and day out.”

The shopping destination completely rethought

At the moment, one can only imagine what the inside of the shopping mall will look like starting next year. Viewers are greeted by a scene consisting of concrete columns, cable shafts, scaffolding, and work platforms. The entire center was stripped down to its core, and the previously existing retail spaces on the upper floor were completely removed. Soon, impressive two-story facades will be the mall’s defining feature. They offer tenants completely new ways to present their products and space for exciting concepts. Construction work began in April 2020. One thing is abundantly clear: it’s not a matter of sprucing up the place a bit – a splash of paint here, new flooring there, some well-placed lounge furniture, and done. Something unprecedented is being created here, which is as far removed from the former Arkaden as possible. A brand new and exciting world. “If you think you know Potsdamer Platz, think again!” challenges Jonathan Doughty to everyone he speaks with about the project.

Shopping, experience and service perfectly combined

The new “emblem stores” on the ground floor, which have been enlarged upwards, represent their brands in a spectacularly unique way. The main idea: well-known brands do unusual things. “We’re not talking about flagship stores, but rather creating shining examples of the brands with ‘emblem stores’. At the same time, the stores stand out for their perfect service," Doughty says, explaining the concept. “We’re not building the biggest or most expensive stores in the world, but we want to engage customers in a manner completely different from anything they’ve seen before.”

This concept is also what convinced the American toy company Mattel to choose Potsdamer Platz as the location for Europe’s first “Mission: Play!™ “ family entertainment center. Mattel’s first European entertainment experience will open in Spring 2022. The 4,000 square meters center will bring Mattel’s iconic brands to life through themed zones for Barbie®, Hot Wheels® and Mega Bloks®. The center will combine physical and digital play experiences as well as offering educational programs, events and experiential retail: Join Barbie in a world where You Can Be Anything, strap in for a challenge with Hot Wheels and use your imagination when building amazing creations with Mega Bloks. The site will be developed by iP2Development B.V. and operated by Planet Leisure Germany GmbH.

Once completed, the new shopping center will house around 90 retail outlets and emblem stores from well-known brands in the fields of technology, sports and entertainment, science and beauty, mobility and leisure, as well as food and beverage. In addition to the emblem stores on the ground floor, this also includes service providers and smaller shops where visitors can obtain the goods they need on a day-to-day basis in the basement.

FOOD HALL OF THE FuTuRE OFFERS A NUMEROUS CuSTOMERy OFFERINGS

The food and gastronomy offerings will be an important hub in Berlin's new hot spot. High-quality and diverse culinary offerings will leave nothing to be desired. The focus will be on contemporary, trendy and new food concepts: around 40 of these are planned.

Visitors will find more than 25 additional restaurants, two bars, several grocery stores for local supply, a "Chef's Table" and a cultural stage in the approximately 4,400-square-meter "Food Hall" of Manifesto, an operator of innovative food hub concepts originating from Prague. Manifesto, founded in 2018, will also operate its own bar under the name "Soot." The Berlin location at Potsdamer Platz will be the fourth and largest food hub opened by Manifesto founder Martin Barry, an American architect and entrepreneur, together with former Google and current Manifesto manager Hollie Lin, following three locations in Prague. The concept brings together gastronomic experiences and cultural and lifestyle events, as well as education and entertainment, to transform places into memorable destinations.

Since its inception, Manifesto has focused on the benefits of cashless operations for restaurant owners, managers and the enhanced guest experience. Cashless operations are secure, transparent and sanitary.

Martin Barry and the team create a select roster of talented chefs, artisan producers and local restaurateurs to offer a diverse range of authentic international cuisine. Diversity has become a defining characteristic of Manifesto and one of the reasons customers keep coming back. Chefs are supported with 360-degree marketing and exciting community events so they can focus on their core competency - preparing delicious food.

Perfect ingredients for the perfect menu

Doughty and his team are currently holding talks with a variety of retailers, restaurateurs, bar operators, as well as leisure and health providers on a daily basis. At the same time, several competitions are underway for innovative concepts for some of the spaces. The team is working hard to fill the final gaps in the perfectly coordinated blend of numerous different ingredients.

In the spring of 2022, Potsdamer Platz, the pulsating center of the German capital, and with it the new shopping, culinary, and entertainment destination, will shine in a completely new light – this is when the extraordinary transformation will reach its successful completion.

ECE Editorial Team

Our editorial team reports on interesting facts in and out of ECE and provides up-to-date information about our real estate projects via corporate channels. In addition, we deal intensively with trends and developments in the areas of Marketplaces and Work & Live. In our blog, we give our experts a voice and provide interesting insights into topics that move us.