Supermarket in Graz
Whereas supermarkets in most countries continue to use the drab monotony of trapezoidal sheet metal and precast concrete panels, some of Austria’s retail chain stores have been following a different track by developing individual buildings that blend in with the character of their surroundings for years now. Spar AG, one of the largest retail businesses in Austria with approximately 1500 shops, is no exception and has joined the trend. In recent months, the company has broken new ground by developing so-called ‘climate protection’ stores. They are part of a comprehensive business strategy to reduce – in comparison to current standards – the energy consumption of all refurbished and new stores by at least a third. The climate protection stores are considered prototypes for the technologies Spar intends to use to achieve these targets. For each one of the new builds, Spar hopes to be awarded a Gold Certificate by ÖGNI, the Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate.
