Manama: Qatar's first eco-friendly shopping centre, Parco Mall, will open on Friday amid a week-long festival of games, fashion shows and painting competitions.
"Parco Mall is the first green mall in Doha with its unique and yet grand vertical garden which will greet customers with a fresh burst of oxygen each time as they pass through it," Moncy Thomas, the mall general manager, said.
"The vertical garden is an integrated system with automated irrigation, ventilation and lighting facilities. The garden contains over 5,000 individual components and has over 2,000 tropical plants. The daily carbon dioxide consumption and corresponding oxygen production is equivalent to 15 fully grown trees," he said.
The essentially three-floor neighbourhood mall will house Food World, Doha Bank counter, Al Dar exchange, ATMs, Qtel pay centre, pharmacy, laundry, beauty saloon, ladies and kids' fashion accessories, a kids studio, toy shop, bookstore, travel agency and a play zone for children, Moncy said.
A feature in the food court is the custom-built giant size marine aquarium.
"Parco Mall management believes that every visit to the mall will be a lasting experience," Moncy said. "With its no smoking policy and the vertical garden, Parco Mall is likely to provide a clean and healthy environment for anyone visiting the mall," he said.
