Etele Plaza is located in the Ujbuda district of Budapest and is one of the biggest shopping and entertainment centres in Hungary.
It was developed by Futureal Group, a real estate development company, with an investment of €300m ($340m).
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The foundation stone for the project was laid in November 2018, and the mall was opened to the public in September 2021.
The shopping mall accommodates 180 stores and boasts a footfall of up to 40,000 visitors a day. It was awarded the best Hungarian Retail Development project award at the International Property Awards.
It also received BREEAM ‘Very Good’ environmental certification in the retail category in January 2023, following a HOF award in the ‘Best of the Best Retail Development’ category in April 2022.
Etele Plaza shopping centre location
The Etele Plaza is situated in South Buda City Center, at the terminus of Etele Road, near Kelenfold railway station, southwest of Budapest.
The prime location benefits from excellent connectivity, being adjacent to a densely populated residential area and directly accessible via two major highways, M1 and M7.
Furthermore, the centre is served by an extensive public transport network, including 23 intercity and 27 city bus routes, as well as the M4 metro line of the Budapest Metro, ensuring easy access for visitors.
Etele Plaza shopping centre design details
The three-storey Etele Plaza encompasses a gross building area of 137,000m² (1.4 million square feet) and a gross leasable area of 54,200m². It can accommodate up to 200 retail units, including a diverse range of international and local fashion brands, a supermarket, a fitness centre, a children’s playhouse, several mother-baby rooms, various restaurants, and entertainment facilities.
The plaza houses a state-of-the-art two-storey cinema complex Etele Cinema, providing 14 screening rooms, including themed and VIP options, and provides a unique cinematic experience complemented by a wide selection of snacks and drinks.
The plaza’s Etele Food Court can comfortably and safely accommodate over 1,000 guests. In addition, cafes are situated on each level for convenience. It also features a roof terrace, a chillout lounge, and both indoor and outdoor adventure parks.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Life1 Fitness club on the third floor features a grand design, complete with a terrace that hosts group classes in a green setting. The children’s playground includes an impressive climbing system and an interactive LED floor.
Design details of Etele Plaza
Etele Plaza’s modern facade features a glass curtain wall, enhancing the ingress of natural light, while select retail units feature double-height shop windows.
Internally, the plaza features stylish corridors, a sophisticated lobby, and appealing decor, with a central circulation axis at its heart. The complex’s restaurant benefits from a seamless connection to terraces topped with green roofs, offering a distinctive ambience.
Further augmenting the contemporary shopping experience is a 200m² interactive LED display media interface.
Etele Plaza complex layout and facilities
The mall ensures unobstructed movement, and full accessibility, which applies to restrooms as well. It incorporates the Ariadne system, an electronic guide technology installed beneath the floor covering, to facilitate easier and safer navigation for blind and visually impaired visitors.
Parking is ample, with up to 1,280 spaces spread across two underground levels and three rooftop levels, including 200 spots specifically for families.
Additionally, the centre features electric vehicle charging stations and offers a park-and-ride service for commuters, with a capacity for 2,400 vehicles in the nearby area.
Sustainability features
Etele Plaza is constructed with a strong emphasis on sustainability, aligning with BREEAM certification requirements. The development prioritises easy accessibility and minimises light pollution and direct environmental impact.
Durable materials have been selected to enhance longevity, and both waste reduction and reuse are actively promoted. The tenants have also embraced sustainability in the establishment of their stores, adhering to the BREEAM standards.
The plaza features nearly 4,000m² of green space, filled with ornamental grass, shrubs, and trees, creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. The green-roofed terraces can accommodate 150 people, and the gym is complemented by an attractive garden featuring an array of trees, shrubs, and grass.
Hygiene and safety features at Etele Plaza
Etele Plaza is equipped with advanced safety equipment to protect the health of its visitors, aligning with Futureal’s Stay Safe initiative to minimise touchpoints within the mall.
The heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems incorporate ultraviolet (UV) sterilising filters that eliminate viruses and bacteria with nearly 100% efficiency rapidly, negating the need for chemical disinfectants. Disinfection stations are strategically placed in high-traffic zones and restrooms.
Additionally, escalators are enhanced with an integrated handrail sanitiser system, and the sinks are designed for touch-free operation.
Technology details at Etele Plaza
Etele Plaza is the first smart plaza in Hungary. It offers a personalised shopping experience facilitated by its proprietary mobile app and cloud-based services, which assist customers in locating optimal parking spots, charging electric vehicles, and guiding them to their preferred store.
The visitors can conveniently recharge their mobile devices using USB or traditional electrical connections available at the seating furniture throughout the plaza and within the Etele Gastro Court.
Financing details
Futureal secured a €150m ($175m) loan from a consortium comprising Italian banking and financial services provider UniCredit, along with Austrian counterpart Erste Group in September 2018.
The loan has to be repaid over a term of ten years.
Contractors involved
Paulinyi-Reith & Partners, an engineering company based in Hungary, provided design services for the mall, whereas the interior architecture was crafted by architectural company Dyer.
The Etele Plaza shopping complex concept was conceived by the Dusseldorf studio of global architect Chapman Taylor. The Ariadne system was developed by engineers at Obuda University.
Heidelberg Materials, a partner of the Hungarian construction materials companies Duna-Drava Cement and Molnarbeton, supplied 40,000m³ of concrete for the mall’s construction.
