The first commercial and recreation centre in Pleven - Central Mall Pleven - has greeted its first wave of clients with 95 per cent of its capacity being "occupied", according to Valerii Ruskov, manager of the investment company Nia, the mall's main investor. It took 12.5 million euro to transform the old United Bulgarian Bank building into a mall.

The new centre, on Vassil Levski Str, opened on November 28. It's an architectural collaboration between Proskonsult, with architects Krassimir Popov, Sergei Bonev and Emil Borisov.

The arduous challenge for the mall started from the onset, both for the investment team and for the architects. A brand new skeleton of monolith aluminum construction was required for the roof and for some of the foundations. The building's former design was mostly retained so that, unlike other malls, there was little room for large windows and open areas. According to the designer agency Creart, this sets the building apart from most malls across Bulgaria, reports Stroitelstvo Gradut.

The main concept of the design for the Pleven mall, according to the architects, is "organised chaos". The top floor has been reserved for recreation and dining, containing a number of restaurants and cafés. The first floor is packed with boutiques, luring customers with a wide array of odours emanating from expensive perfumes. The mall stands four storeys high with escalators and a panoramic lift plus two cargo lifts supplied from Izamet.

Central Mall Pleven has a total area of 11 000 square metres. It will house 45 stores, offering a wide range of fashion, boutiques, electronics, cosmetics, telecommunications, hardware and other equipment. A cinema has also been incorporated on the fourth floor - Arena - plus a recreational centre for children, Dream Land.