Process: MPreis Shopping Centre in Wattens
Dominique Perrault was assured a completely free hand in the design of this supermarket in Austria. The only conditions imposed were that he should create something completely different from the 130 other branches of the grocery concern, and that he should remain within cost limits. The glazed complex is raised above the sloping site. Customers have covered access from the parking spaces beneath the building, via a planted courtyard, to the shopping areas and a café. Drawn like a veil over the exterior is a stainless-steel mesh skin which reflects the light and lends a sense of depth to the glazed facades to the rear. At night, the internal illumination radiates out of the building. The central location of the complex – like a traditional marketplace – called for the -integration of more than a single function. The ensemble thus accom-modates leasable commercial areas as well as the local police station. The 5.33-metre-high, almost column-free internal space has a bright, friendly atmosphere with views out to the trees and mountains.
