A colourful marble-effect stoneware carpet: Hallarna shopping centre

by Sara Costi The recent extension of the Hallarna shopping centre included a restyling of the flooring of the public areas indoors, with marble-effect porcelain stoneware tiles by Casalgrande Padana. The alternating polished and matt finishes in different shades of blue, grey and beige, from the Marte collection, come together to create a wave pattern that accompanies visitors throughout the main gallery.

The shopping centre

The Hallarna shopping centre is located in the little town of Halmstad, in southern Sweden. Designed by the architect Dahl Josefine, the building took second prize in the section “Shopping and control centres (large surfaces)” at the 11th edition of the Grand Prix architecture competition. Built in a strategic position next to the E6/E20 motorway axis, just five kilometres from the town, the shopping centre, which first opened in 1991 with about thirty shops, including two hypermarkets, was recently renovated and extended, and today offers 90 shops, as well as restaurants, cafés and spacious relaxation areas that all welcome the visitor into a bright setting, transmitting an unusual sensation of both calm and energy.

Three different themes have been chosen for the three entrances, clearly visible from both north and south and featuring large, bright windows: the green entrance features a striking wall of plants and a large oasis-shaped hall; the blue entrance is marked by an appealing water feature and a huge eight-metre-high cylindrical aquarium that reaches right up to the ceiling, while at the yellow entrance, visitors are welcomed by the warm tones of the copper that reflects the sun’s rays in the form of tubular LED lights.

The floor

The 5700-square-metre floor is covered with marble-effect porcelain stoneware tiles by Casalgrande Padana from the Marte collection in the colours Azul Bahia, Botticino and Raggio di Luna with natural and polished finishes. From the entrance area, the staggered laying pattern obtained using ceramic tiles in three different sizes (10x60 cm, 20x60 cm and 30x60 cm) creates graceful waves of varying widths that accompany visitors through to the entrances of the individual shops and form a design that alternates different colours and finishes to evoke an idea of water and subtly rippling sand dunes. The lighting effects chosen for the shopping centre enhance the colours and the matt and mirror finishes of the floor, creating a continual interplay of light and shade and appealing colour effects.

Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware tiles

Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware tiles are the ideal choice for both floors and walls, indoors and outdoors, in both residential settings and areas subjected to high foot traffic, such as shopping centres, schools, hospitals and offices, as well as urban furnishings and restoration work. Whatever the latitude, they are unaffected by sudden shifts in temperature, guarantee excellent mechanical resistance, do not warp and remain unchanged over time. Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware tiles are completely recyclable, fire resistant and do not contain plastic. They are easy to lay, clean and maintain, and are hygienic, non-allergenic and antibacterial.