Alain Taravella, Chairman and Founder of Altarea Cogedim and Vincent Rebillard, Chief Operating Officer of Mercialys today inaugurated the new 35,235m2 Jas-de-Bouffan shopping center, in a ceremony attended by Maryse Joissains-Masini, Mayor of Aix-en-Provence, marking the end of extension and renovation work at the center. Symbolizing the new-look Jas-de-Bouffan center, a specially commissioned artwork reinterpreting Cézanne’s famous Jas-de-Bouffan painting, was unveiled.
Originally inaugurated in 1982 and located 2km west of downtown Aix-en-Provence, the Jas-de-Bouffan shopping center has gone from strength to strength over the years. Located in a catchment area of 220,000 people, the shopping center has gradually been joined by the city, making it a shopping mall at the heart of the city.
To adapt to changes in the local area and to customer expectations, the shopping mall was extended by 5,700m2. In addition, the residual space and the car park were renovated.
The revamped center now houses a Géant Casino hypermarket, a 10,000m2 shopping mall featuring 68 stores and restaurants, 6 kiosks and carousels, 16 locations dedicated to temporary stores, a food court and 1,565 parking spaces, including 560 in the parking garage.
The center already had a number of national chains, including Nocibe, Claire’s, Pascal Coste, Courir, Burton, Grain de Malice, Camaieu, Julien d’Orcel, Micromania, Général d’Optique. New chains have now been added its retail line-up, including Tiger (decor-design, its first store in France), Kiko, Calzedonia, Moa, Swarovski, Blue Box, Ikks, Event’s by Vero-Moda, Rouge Gorge, Jules, Beef House, A la Bonne Heure.
Located at the heart of the Provence region, the center’s new architectural identity owes a great deal to its local roots. The new-look Jas-de-Bouffan, designed by CIMAISE Architectes, features architecture with a southern French influence, bathing in natural light. A local touch is evident in the materials used in the mall – from the yellow Le Gard stone cladding of the pilasters and the floor covering reminiscent of Aix-en-Provence’s paved streets, through to the water theme represented by the pebble strips around the mall, and the Douglas fir timber in the façades.
Special care was given to selecting the materials that were used, taking into account their environmental footprint and the geographical proximity of their place of production.
The extension and renovation project for the Jas-de-Bouffan shopping center also incorporated the approaches to the facility, with the site’s entrances and car park being redeveloped. Pedestrians and motorists will now enjoy enhanced, landscaped access, making for easier journeys between the city and the shopping center.
Everything possible has been thought of to make Jas-de-Bouffan the best place to shop in Aix-en-Provence!
