Airport News
Milano Malpensa Airport has opened a new luxury shopping mall Piazza del Lusso marking the first milestone in its €30m (US$40m) renovation and expansion project for Terminal 1.
The 8,000m² (86,000ft²) mall features 46 new outlets including a 2,000m² (21,500ft²) duty free area. The airport described the new Piazza del Lusso as “truly Italian in style” with features inspired by the city of Milan in northern Italy, which the airport serves, including the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, one of the world's oldest shopping malls based in central Milan.
The lighting, created by lighting designer Cinzia Ferrara, is one of the distinctive features of the new mall, which houses luxury brands including Bulgari, Armani, Gucci and Montblanc, among others. Piazza del Lusso also offers coffee, restaurants and other dining options for passengers.
The shopping mall is part of airport operator SEA Group’s development plans for Terminal 1. Once the development is complete next year, Piazza del Lusso will increase the total retail offering in the departures area to 23,000m² (250,000ft²) and bring the total number of restaurants, bars and shops up to around 100.
SEA Group said once the restyling project is completed, Milan Malpensa Airport will be an “elegant, bright and airy” steel and glass facility, featuring an aerodynamic design with marble floors and zinc-titanium cladding.
The Terminal 1 renovation is expected to be completed by April 2015 and will have a total surface area of 350,000m² (3,800,000ft²), 90 boarding gates, up to 270 check-in desks, 41 loading bridges, and will be the first Italian airport able to accommodate two Airbus A380 simultaneously and board passengers through three loading bridges.
The renovation was launched last year to ready the airport for Expo 2015, a non-commercial universal exposition that will see thousands of tourists, visitors and exhibitors flood to the Milan region to sample a taste of Italy.
