“The Giant Got Bigger”
BarraShopping expands its area and brings international brands making their debut in the Rio market
By Ernesto Neves
No other shopping center in Rio is as intertwined with the history of its neighborhood as BarraShopping—a symbol of the area’s rapid development. Considered a navigational landmark in the region due to its massive scale, the complex is now preparing to inaugurate yet another expansion phase. Scheduled to open next Tuesday (10th), the new phase involved an investment of R$243 million and took over a year to build. It will add 19,000 square meters of floor space and includes an underground parking lot. The new area houses 50 stores, including 15 new international brands debuting in the Brazilian market and another seven that are new to Rio.
Among the highlights is Gap, the iconic American fashion retailer known for its classic and casual style. Even the restaurant scene will see a novelty with the arrival of the American burger chain P.J. Clarke’s.
According to the mall’s management, the expansion responds to the growing interest from foreign brands in the Rio market. “We observed that around 10 million people passed through Galeão Airport in 2013. Besides targeting locals, the mall is also becoming a destination for tourists,” says Claudio Hermolin, CEO of Multiplan, the mall’s management company.
The new section of the mall also features a large area dedicated to children’s activities, with 480 square meters devoted to the little ones. Called Barra Kids, it includes a mini-golf course, art studio, and car simulator.
On the ground floor is P.J. Clarke’s, one of the highlights of the food court. Also debuting in the complex are brands such as Desigual, Kipling, Pandora, and Forever 21, which opens on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
According to Hermolin, the French model of luxury and gourmet avenues—a combination of fashion and fine dining—was one of the inspirations for the layout of the new section. “BarraShopping’s expansion keeps up with the upscale trends already found in Ipanema, the South Zone, and more recently, in Zona Oeste (West Zone),” he explains.
The economic strength of Barra is reflected in its demographics: the area now houses over 50,000 residents, and this number is growing. Initially, the mall served mostly neighborhood residents, notes Jussara Nova Raris, BarraShopping’s superintendent. “Today, it attracts not just locals but also people from other parts of Rio and even other regions of Brazil.”
The consistent investments in BarraShopping have helped make it the main commercial real estate center in Rio. Opened just six months ago, the nearby Metropolitan Shopping Mall on Avenida Abelardo Bueno is one of the newest examples of that growth. Another key project is CasaShopping, a design-focused mall that already holds a Guinness World Record as the largest furniture and design mall in the world.
And here comes the artistic highlight of this new phase: the architectural project by Nir Sivan, which includes a structure composed of 355 glass triangles. By 2016, the mall will have added R$150 million in investments and 30 new stores.
With so many new shopping options and exciting design concepts, BarraShopping is not just growing—it’s redefining how Rio shops, lives, and swipes their credit card.