Empty Talat Sao Mall Officially Opens
When reading in the local newspaper that the Morning Market Talat Sao mall 2 was officially opened on Friday, 11 November 2011, I was curious to see for myself if the new mall would meet everybody’s high expectations.
Visiting the mall this Saturday, I was rather disappointed, as only a few stores on the first and second level of the mall are occupied; everything else is still vacant or under construction. The “official opening of a shopping mall still under construction” would have been more appropriate as a headline.
However, looking at it from a more positive angle, once the mall is complete and functional (meaning all stores are occupied and open to the public) it will definitely be “the” place to visit in Vientiane and will attract the local crowed from young to old. Until then we just need to be patient and wait another … 6-12 months ?
Once completed, the new Talat shopping mall II will be 8-storeys tall and will incorporate retail and commercial spaces such as a shop units, fast food outlets, restaurants, a hypermarket, department stores, entertainment areas such as a Cineplex, a bowling centre and a hotel, according to Mr. Lawrence Leow, Chairman of the Crescendas Group Company.
He claims that the Talat Sao Mall 2 is more than just a shopping centre. It will be a lifestyle destination. For instance, an international business person who arrives in Vientiane Capital can stay at the hotel and hold meetings with business contacts here, pick up gifts at the specialty stores in the shopping complex, dine at the restaurants, catch a quick bite at the food court or even watch a movie in the Cineplex.
In total, 280 shops will be located on the first and second floors while half of the half of the second and third floors are reserved for a Big C Super Center covering 10,000 square meters.
The three cinemas will have seating for 380 people, and a bowling center and amusement arcade will be located on the fourth and fifth floors.
The sixth and seventh floors are home to a 150 room hotel with 24 VIP suits.
The 8th floor contains a large function room with panoramic views, conferencing and meeting facilities, as well as a reception room for parties.
According to Crescendas, a Link Block will be soon constructed to link Mall 1 and 2, to integrate it into a complete Talat Sao Shopping Complex. The entire Talat Sao Mall Complex, comprising both Phases 1, 2 and 2A will yield approximately 100,000 square meters of floor space.
Source: LaoVoices / Vientiane Times
