Europark Salzburg

Europark Salzburg is a shopping center in Salzburg, Austria, that offers more than just shopping. It has a variety of shops, restaurants, cafes, and services, as well as a center for art and culture called the OVAL. It was opened in 1997 and has been one of the most successful and popular shopping centers in Europe. It celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022 with the motto “More than just shopping”.

Europark Salzburg is not your typical shopping mall. It is a place where you can find everything you need, from fashion to food, from entertainment to education, from culture to community. It is a place that has been serving the people of Salzburg and beyond for 25 years, and has become a landmark of the city and a model for the industry.

Europark Salzburg was built on the area of the former INTERSPAR central in Salzburg-Taxham, a district that was in need of urban development and revitalization. The vision behind the project was to create more than just a shopping center, but a multifunctional urban space that would offer relevant infrastructure, services, and opportunities for the local residents and visitors.

The project was led by Marcus Wild, the supervisory board member of the SES Spar European Shopping Centers and executive manager for SPAR Holding AG real estate. He was also the first director of Europark Salzburg, and has played a key role in shaping the company over the past 25 years. As he explains, “The success of a shopping center is not determined by the sales revenue per sq m, but rather above all on the sum of habits anchoring the guests here”.

The construction of Europark Salzburg began in 1995 and was completed in 1997. It was designed by the renowned Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, who gave it a distinctive and elegant appearance. The shopping center covers an area of 50,000 sq m, and hosts 130 shops, more than 1,000 brands, and a variety of restaurants, cafes, and services. It also features a post office, a police station, a bank, a dry cleaning, a ticket bureau, a theater, a cinema, and a concert hall. It has a parking capacity of 4,200 cars, and is easily accessible by public transport.

Since its opening, Europark Salzburg has been a success story, both in terms of economic performance and social impact. It has attracted more than 10 million customers per year, and has achieved the highest Austrian-wide revenue annually per sq m retail space. It has also invested approximately 300 million euros in the past 25 years, mostly in regional companies, and has provided job opportunities for about 2,000 people. It has been a partner for the shops, and a supporter of many regional and social initiatives.

Europark Salzburg has also received numerous awards and recognitions for its excellence and innovation. It was the first shopping center in the world to receive the ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, and the first in Austria to receive the ISO 50001 certification for energy management. It has also won the ICSC European Shopping Centre Award, the European Property Award, the TRIGOS Award for Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Austrian State Prize for Architecture and Sustainability, among others.

One of the most distinctive features of Europark Salzburg is its center for art and culture, the OVAL. It is Europe’s first shopping center to feature its own cultural venue, and it offers a diverse and high-quality program of events, such as concerts, theater, comedy, cabaret, readings, exhibitions, and workshops. It also hosts the Cineplexx cinema, which has 14 screens and the latest technology.

The OVAL was opened in 2001, and has since become a popular and respected place for culture and entertainment in Salzburg. It has a capacity of 450 seats, and a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. It has hosted more than 3,000 events, and has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors. It has also collaborated with many local and international artists, such as Hubert von Goisern, Rainhard Fendrich, Konstantin Wecker, Erwin Steinhauer, Josef Hader, and many more.

Europark Salzburg is not only a place for shopping, but also a place for living, learning, and enjoying. It is a place that offers more than just products, but also experiences, emotions, and values. It is a place that cares about its customers, its employees, its partners, and its environment. It is a place that has been growing and evolving with the times, and that has always stayed true to its vision and motto: “More than just shopping”.