Oxígeno Shopping Mall in Heredia, Costa Rica by Jerde

Article source: Jerde

There is a well-known saying that echoes throughout Costa Rica: “Pura Vida.” Locals use the term for everything from greeting one another ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’, to saying that ‘everything is great.’ However, the expression is about more than words.  It’s an emotion, it’s an attitude, it’s happiness, and it’s a way of life. And so, to truly be successful, the region’s largest new commercial development needed not just to attract visitors, but it needed to fully capture Pura Vida.

The project – Oxígeno – delivers a new concept of a Human Playground that bridges retail, entertainment, sports, culture, education and gastronomy. More than just a shopping center or lifestyle center, Oxígeno is a dynamic extension of the local community. Part of a multi-phase mixed-use development, this first phase includes 45,000m2 GLA of retail space and more than 15,000m2 of green areas designed around the way residents live, work, and play. Beyond mere commercial offerings, Oxígeno embraces the existing community with ample green areas opened to the public, a jogging trail, and improvements to the public transportation infrastructure including the donation of a train station, constructions of a boulevard connecting two highways, and the widening of front rows to facilitate the operation of public buses. Since its opening in November, Oxígeno has received more than 1.5 million visitors.

Image Courtesy © Jerde

• Architects: Jerde
• Project: Oxígeno Shopping Mall
• Location: Heredia, Costa Rica

Image Courtesy © Jerde

A project like this, which goes beyond the traditional to deliver a something truly special to the community, requires commitment from both the designer and the developer. Cuestamoras Urbanismo, one of Central America’s biggest owner/operators, set out to break new ground with Oxígeno, conceiving of a project unlike any other that has been built previously. To execute this vision, they selected JERDE, a top-rated architecture and planning firm with a long history of innovative international design. Cuestamoras completed thorough demographic and psychographic analysis which was additionally complemented with strategic methodologies such as storytelling to generate a carefully crafted program.  These studies and research indicated that, rather than a traditional shopping center, families were seeking a safe, pet-friendly place to be active and find new activities and experiences that include sports, culture, education, entertainment and, yes, shopping.

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Image Courtesy © Jerde

The project adheres to strict sustainability principles, including meeting its carbon-neutral objective with an agreement for the reforestation of 848 hectares to offset the approximately 77,000 carbon dioxide emissions generated during the construction phase. Additionally, an agreement was entered with NGOs and government agencies to plant 20,000 native trees in order to create biological corridors for local wildlife. In addition, more than 3,000 solar panels, plus systems used for the reutilization of rain water and wind energy, were installed to generate more than 50% of the common areas’ energy needs. Social and economic aspects are also strongly supported by the hiring of local manpower and persons with special needs.

The unique form of Oxígeno was inspired by the many volcanoes surrounding the site.  Additionally, the hovering clouds that sit on top of the mountains, the greenery, and the gently sloping hills of the surroundings were used as inspiration to create a project that reflects the natural beauty of Costa Rica. The project itself is divided into 5 worlds that complement each other: Live Out Loud (O1), Explore New Sensations (O2), Feel Inspiration (O3), Be a Child Again (O4) and Breathe the Essential (O5); each of them feature a unique design, look, feel, and program, and are connected via pathways and a series of outdoor leisure and sports spaces, including the public park and green roof. The first world is the entertainment center with a flexible central plaza surrounded by F&B that can host up to 2,500 people for events ranging from concerts, shows, sporting events, and programmable media. This space is primarily reserved to give local talent a chance to develop and excel on a big stage.

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Image Courtesy © Jerde

The second world focuses on a healthy, active lifestyle with activities such as climbing walls, zip lines, a swimming pool, and a gym. The third world puts the spotlight on fashion, art, and shopping. while the fourth represent childhood and is filled with play structures and kid-friendly retailers. The big anchor in this world is Kidzania, and edu-taiment attraction that gives children insights into a promising future. The fifth world is a green space composed of green roofs, and pet-friendly parks for the entire community to enjoy.

Oxígeno is not meant to be a regional draw, not specific to a single market. This is the reason why its flexible design, which permits hosting many different types of activities throughout the year, is key to keeping the consumer consistently surprised. Oxígeno is referred as the first Human Playground because it goes beyond retail stores to include a constantly changing programming of cultural, leisure, health, sports, art and educational activities. Furthermore, media and digital experiences are key components of the Human Playground concept which explains why the Oxígeno incorporates a TV and Radio station which transmits its most popular events both in broadcast and web platforms.

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Clearly, the traditional developer role as a builder of physical spaces to be rented and operated by third parties does not work in this case. The Human Playground concept requires a hands-on operator willing to manage Oxígeno’s physical, experiential, media, and digital components. Here, Cuestamoras leverages its expertise as a sophisticated operator and retailer. Its operations team is focused on providing physical as well as media and digital offerings year-round. This extra attention on not just the development, but the operation of the project – combine with JERDE’s unique brand of experiential placemaking design –  has created a unique public venue that will create memories and hopefully keep people coming back again and again.

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Image Courtesy © Jerde

Tags: Costa Rica, Heredia

Categories: Entertainment Centre, Playground, public spaces, Retail, Shop, shopping center, Shopping Mall, Sports Centre

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