FORUM Shopping Centre in Poprad, Slovakia

Particularities

The FORUM Shopping Centre in Poprad provides space for more than 100 shops, a supermarket and convenient parking on three levels. The centre houses cafés and restaurants with outdoor terraces that provide a lovely view of the High Tatra Mountains. The building is situated near the historical centre of the town at the site of the former Prior department store. The building fits into the urban structure of the town and cultivates one of the liveliest and most beautiful town districts. Architecturally, it was designed as a simple L-shaped building with base dimensions of 177 x 105 m. The layout is based on the middle arcade surrounded by shopping units. The building is embedded in sloped terrain with an elevation of 11 to 12 metres, so the majority of its volume is located underground. The complexity of the terrain also dictated the floor concept, in which all three above-ground floors are visible from the north side of the building, but only the top 3rd floor can be seen from the south side of the building.

The material concept of the façades is based on the character of the local architecture. The building façades are made of three basic materials: wood, plaster and stone cladding, with the exception of the glass that dominates the north side. The modernly conceived eastern section is made of expanded metal.