Abans to change shopping concept with huge $ 100 m lifestyle mall in Colombo

The Abans Group in collaboration with Silver Needle Hospitality signed an agreement on 13 May with AEDAS an internationally reputed, award winning architectural firm to lead the design for their proposed US$ 100 million five-star super mall opposite the Beira Lake in Colombo. The construction will commence early next year and is expected to be completed by 2016.

The Abans Lifestyle Mall, which will be named the Colombo City Centre, will be unique as it will be the first and only lifestyle mall in Sri Lanka on par with the huge super malls in Singapore and Dubai.

It will offer Sri Lankans as well as tourists a place where they can come and spend the whole day with their families and enjoy the many faceted attractions all under one roof.

The mall will feature a spacious, stylish and modern shopping centre which will be subdivided into various sections for branded fashion garments for men, women and children, accessories, toys, stationery, jewellery, perfumes and cosmetics, groceries etc. There will also be a food court that will serve clean and wholesome food and will offer a variety of Sri Lankan and international cuisine, fast foods, snacks, ice cream and beverages.

The Abans Colombo City Centre Mall will also have a 3D cinema, a well equipped gym, a cyber café, a spacious children’s play area where parents can leave their toddlers and kids under supervision while they browse around and do their shopping, and other entertainment for children as well as adults. It will provide an excellent opportunity for the younger generation to meet and indulge in useful and healthy recreational activities in a five-star environment, instead of hanging around at shady places that entice them into bad habits that lead them astray.

The mall will also have a residential component comprising of a 200-roomed ultra five star hotel that will help to meet the demand created by increased tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka.

Iqbal Jumabhoy, Managing Director and Group CEO of Silver Needle Hospitality said: “As this is our first joint venture development in Asia, it was crucial that we selected a high-calibre architect who understood our desire for creating, inviting and engaging an iconic landmark that meets the professional and leisure accommodation needs of the business traveller and enhances the Colombo lifestyle. AEDAS’ ethos is consistent with this vision.”

Silver Needle Hospitality currently operates properties in the Asia-Pacific region under the Grand Chifley, Chifley, Country Comfort, Australis and Sundowner brands along with a growing portfolio of independent boutique hotels in South East Asia. Silver Needle Hospitality is an innovative and progressive integrated hospitality, investment, management and development company, with a focus on mid to upscale hotels and resorts that are intelligently designed and operated for the professional and leisure needs of the business traveller.

Silver Needle Hospitality currently operates over 4,000 keys in the Asia Pacific region. Headquartered in Singapore, Silver Needle Hospitality has regional offices in Bangkok, Sydney and Bangalore. It was founded by Nadathur S Raghavan co-founder of NASDAQ – listed Infosys Technologies and The Nadathur Group an investment firm.

AEDAS’ Principal, Simon Griffiths explained: “Our creative excellence track records in delivering world class mixed-use developments were key to win this project. AEDAS will, as always, create an attractive destination for Colombo City to improve the cityscape and introduce a contemporary travel and lifestyle experience.”

Chairperson of Abans Group Aban Pestonjee said: “We are delighted and happy to have this opportunity of contributing to Sri Lanka’s development in a very positive way. We will maintain our lifestyle mall in an exemplary five-star manner and introduce the latest global trends, from time to time, to ensure that our super mall will always remain on par with the best super malls in the world.”