The fabric tent roofs of the Outlet Collection, visible from the adjacent highway, create an iconic silhouette, making this shopping centre a landmark and destination that attracts large numbers of visitors. A bold entrance portal at the main doors completes the arrival experience. The tents’ white translucent fabric brings daylight into the central walkway of the mall. WZMH’s design team drew on its retail knowledge and targeted research to develop a high fashion retail environment that reflects the surrounding region’s wine and entertainment culture. Decorative elements, such as grapevines planted in a field of gravel, a cedar trellis, and a wall of wine barrels donated by local wineries, convey a sense of the region.
The project is the first of a two-phase open-air shopping centre on 25 hectares of land in Niagara-on-the-Lake, just north of Niagara Falls. The largest open-air outlet mall in Canada, the centre includes a 7,500 m2 anchor store and approximately 100 stores. The design includes a market building with food- and wine-related tenants, and an outdoor gathering area with fireplace, play area, and public furniture and amenities. The Outlet Collection at Niagara has enjoyed great success, with an average of 50,000 people visiting every weekend, proving the viability of this marketing model and the “Outlet Collections” prototype.
Awards:
International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), New Developments Gold Award, 2015