ONE of Dubai’s oldest shopping malls is in the midst of a revamp that will enhance the mix of entertainment and retail outlets on offer while boosting its total retail area to one million sq ft from the current 800,000 sq ft.

Work is currently under way on the expansion of BurJuman Centre, which will see the addition of a Carrefour hypermarket and a 14-screen Vox Cinemas multiplex on the fourth floor. Other features of the redevelopment include the doubling in size of the current food-court and the creation of a link that will connect the new food-court to the Pavilion Gardens in another part of the mall.

One of the mall’s main exterior entrances will also be completely redesigned and an al fresco dining area will be added at the ground level.

Located in Bur Dubai at the junction of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road and Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, the mall enjoys easy access to the Dubai Metro system with a station – a transfer station to both the Red Line and the Green Line – being right outside the main entrance.

Commenting on the aim behind the development, Eisa Adam Ibrahim, general manager of BurJuman, says: “The redevelopment is part of BurJuman’s ongoing commitment to creating an ideal community mall experience that offers access to the best shopping, services and entertainment in the neighbourhood.

“Visitors not only look at malls as places to shop but as one-stop destinations providing enjoyment and recreation to the entire community. With our expansion, we want to strengthen our relationship with our customers and give them easy access to everything they need in one place.

“The renovation and redevelopment phase is expected to further enhance our appeal by offering shoppers greater convenience and access to a full-fledged grocery offering, extended family entertainment options, new food and beverage outlets and the addition of new fashion and other brands to our retail portfolio, some of which will be making their first appearance in the region.”

BurJuman Centre, home to 300 stores, was the second major shopping mall to be opened in Dubai, after Al Ghurair City, in 1992. A large expansion, known as ‘The New BurJuman’ was built in the early 2000s and was opened in 2004. The expansion work included the construction of a retail podium with a mezzanine floor and four levels, a 26-storey residential apartment building, a 23-storey hotel building, and a 30-storey office tower. Also included was the internal fit-out of apartments and the office tower. The retail podium and floors increased the retail floor space of the mall by 500,000 sq m, to the current 800,000 sq m.

The latest redevelopment work commenced this January for completion by mid-2014.

As the mall remains functional, the redevelopment team is faced with a number of challenges, according to Ibrahim. To implement the project, an active part of the mall would need to be closed for redevelopment and renovation work for a defined time period and the retailers located in this section to be either given either a retail break or an alternative location in another part of the mall.

“However, the project has received great support from BurJuman’s tenants and the mall management truly appreciates their input, assistance and complete cooperation in this new phase of the mall’s growth,” he says. “The mall has a strong and positive relationship with all its retailers and has been in constant discussions with tenants about the changes it will undergo. The suggestions provided by them have been welcomed and their concerns looked into, which will lead to delivering a better product to our partners, and we believe that the enhanced offering will provide a stronger business platform to all our retailers.”

“The south wing of the mall remains fully operational, offering customers a range of shopping and dining options,” Ibrahim continues. “A number of tenants in the area being renovated have also moved into their new locations.”

The redevelopment project took some time to finalise as the mall was researching and exploring different options to make the product offering wider and stronger for its customers. “We are very confident that what we have in store will be exactly what our tenants and shoppers in the area have been looking for,” he comments.

BurJuman Centre is the owner of the project while Cadiz International Architects is the lead designer. The main supervision consulting firm is Hyder Consulting, a multi-national design and engineering consultancy renowned for working on some of the world’s most iconic buildings and high-profile structures, including Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, Tower Bridge in London (UK) and the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, and Emirates Towers in Dubai.

Engineering Contracting Company (ECC) is the main contractor. ECC is a large and reputed contracting company with a project portfolio currently spanning the Middle East and it employs over 7,000 people. “More than three decades of construction expertise and prior experience in similar projects were the key factors that led to the selection of ECC for this prestigious project. ECC is supported by its in-house MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) division, United Masters, for the execution of MEP works in addition to many other subcontractors nominated for various specialised jobs,” says Ibrahim.

Cyril Sweett is the cost consultant while Projacs International, the largest Pan-Arab project management firm, is supporting BurJuman in the management of the project’s construction phase.

“The nature of BurJuman’s renovation necessitates close coordination of information on existing buildings, implementation of new requirements, meeting tenants’ requirements, and overall coordination among engineers, contractors and various subcontractors. Projacs’ presence ensures this requirement is met,” he adds.