Potsdamer Platz today announced that “Mission: Play!”™, Mattel’s first European entertainment experience will open in Spring 2022, as part of Brookfield Properties’ relaunch of the estate. 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. The site will be developed by iP2Development B.V. and operated by Planet Leisure Germany GmbH.
The Mattel-branded family entertainment center reflects Brookfield’s vision in re-launching Potsdamer Platz as Berlin’s premier lifestyle, food and entertainment destination for all age groups. In 2020, Brookfield Properties relaunched a major redevelopment of the Arkaden shopping center which will include around 90 shops and flagship shops of well-known brands from the fields of gastronomy, sport & entertainment, mobility & leisure, among others. Mattel’s entertainment center will be located inside the new Arkaden at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin.
Karl L. Wambach, Executive Vice President Europe at Brookfield Properties, comments: “We are very pleased to welcome Mattel to Potsdamer Platz in the near future. The opening of Mattel's first family entertainment center in Europe marks a major milestone in the redevelopment of Potsdamer Platz, alongside the opening of the Mercato Metropolitano community market. These planned openings highlight the continued demand for high-quality retail, entertainment and food offerings. Families can look forward to this unique attraction at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.”
Jonathan Doughty, Global Head of Foodservice, Leisure and Placemaking at shopping center operator ECE Maketplaces, says: “Shopping centers are increasingly turning into shopping, leisure and entertainment destinations where people can meet, make new experiences and spend their free time. This is why Brookfield and ECE are repositioning the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden to a shopping center with international highstreet flair including various offerings such as sports, entertainment, and gastronomy. In this context, we are very pleased that we were able to attract Mattel with their Mission Play concept as another anchor tenant which at the same time marks their market entry in Europe with this concept. This is another important step in creating a true destination in the heart of Berlin.”
Julie Freeland, Senior Director of Global Location Based Entertainment at Mattel, Inc. says: “Mission: Play! is where kids will be able to play out adventure in endless ways. This family entertainment center allows Mattel to continue bringing wonder to families and will extend the emotional connection of our iconic brands in truly unique experiences where play has no boundaries. We are excited to be partnering with premiere leaders in the industry to bring this experience to life.”
Roger Houben, CEO at iP2Development, comments: “We are very proud to be able to become the unique anchor family entertainment destination at Potsdamer Platz by launching our first European Mattel center. Lifestyle malls such as Potsdamer Platz have a need for a diversified offering of entertainment whereby iP2 is aiming at the high end of the offering. Our partnership with Mattel reimagines the indoor entertainment center experience and the gamification system will be delivering all the fun challenging elements found in games to drive customer engagement and repeat visitation. We are creating a meaningful community for the children where they will learn by having fun, all the playful activities heighten creativity, boost critical thinking and improve collaborative ad communicative skills.”
Note on image rights:
The use of the image files provided is permitted for reporting on Potsdamer Platz and the Potsdamer Platz Arcades. Please cite the following source for the visualization: MATTEL. The photo may only be edited within the scope of normal image processing.