“We wanted to go beyond the traditional idea of a shopping mall and create a meeting place for the community. Our aim was to design a lively, contemporary destination deeply rooted in its cultural and environmental context.” This was how architect Junkyeu Song, principal of the New York-based practice Laguarda.Low Architects, sums up the concept behind Prishtina Mall, the largest shopping centre ever built in Kosovo.
Strategically located just a few kilometres from the capital Pristina close to a motorway interchange linking several Southeast European countries, the new complex offered the opportunity to take a new and more sustainable approach to the design of a large retail space.
Prishtina Mall is not just a place to shop but a vibrant hub for entertainment and socialisation serving the entire Balkan region. Alongside flagship stores of international fashion and design brands, it offers leisure facilities such as cinemas, play areas, restaurants, bars, concert and performance venues, terraces and outdoor spaces.
But above all, the project embodies a new architectural vision.
“We are always guided by the context, so we see every project as a unique opportunity,” says Song. “Here too we drew inspiration from the area’s specific cultural and social character. Our aim was to create a welcoming, stimulating environment that would reflect Pristina’s rapid growth and the aspirations of its inhabitants.”
Spread over three levels, Prishtina Mall has an open, airy structure where indoor plazas alternate with wide avenues and dramatic balconies. Natural light floods in thanks to the transparency that permeates the entire design. Continuous glazing framed in light wood softens the imposing volume and creates a seamless connection between interior and exterior.
Materials also play a vital role. “We took inspiration from nature,” explains Song. “The colour palette combines stone, wood and ceramic, creating a layered visual and tactile quality that conveys a sense of warmth.” Cotto d’Este porcelain stoneware was chosen for the entrance hall, meeting spaces, circulation areas and food courts. “In short, for all the busiest areas where high resistance to foot traffic is essential, without compromising on design quality,” explains Song.
The Blend Stone porcelain stoneware collection from Cotto d’Este, selected in the exclusive 14 mm thickness and 30×60 cm and 60×120 cm sizes, fully met the architects’ needs. With its mineral textures running through the entire body of the tile, it goes beyond faithful reproduction to create a new material in its own right.
Its delicate colours “allowed the ceramic surfaces to integrate seamlessly with the other materials in the project and with the landscaped elements, reinforcing the idea of bringing the outdoors into the heart of the shopping centre”, notes Song.
“We were especially pleased with the way the ceramic flooring united the different areas of the mall into a coherent whole. Cotto d’Este’s large-format porcelain stoneware, with its warm veining and tonal depth, created a continuous and appealing visual thread from the exterior to the interior,” he adds. The veins and colour inclusions integrate perfectly with the architecture, giving the mall a sense of visual continuity that combines style and functionality.
“Above all, their technical characteristics guarantee long-lasting aesthetic quality,” providing a safe and comfortable surface for the thousands of people who visit the mall. Prishtina Mall was voted “Shopping Centre of the Year” by the public at the 2024 Archello Awards.
