L'Atoll

L'Atoll is a large regional shopping complex located in Beaucouzé, on the western outskirts of Angers in the Maine-et-Loire department of France. It is primarily specialised in home equipment and home-related retail. Opened in April 2012, it is described as the largest shopping centre in the Grand Ouest region, with 71,000 m² of commercial floor space, ahead of Atlantis le Centre in Saint-Herblain. The complex sits on the western ring road of Angers, between the northern bypass and the RD 323 (formerly RN23), and its catchment area extends beyond Angers to reach around 550,000 inhabitants. It was developed and is managed by the Compagnie de Phalsbourg, which also owns it. Construction of the roads began in 2009, with an investment estimated at around €170 million at the end of 2008. The centre receives between 10 and 15 million visitors per year. In 2015 it housed 64 stores employing 800 people. The architecture, designed by Parisian architects Antonio Virga and Vincent Parreira at the request of the cities of Angers and Beaucouzé, the Angers Loire Métropole agglomeration community, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Société d'aménagement de la région d'Angers (SARA), covers 91,000 m² in total, of which 71,000 m² is commercial space. The building has an elliptical shape with a central garden and semi-underground parking. Large entrance doors covered with a perforated, pearly-white mesh provide access to the complex. L'Atoll is one of the first shopping parks to be qualified as an 'eco-park' by the city of Angers, taking into account noise, a closed gallery reserved for deliveries, energy savings, rainwater management, photovoltaic solar panels and thermal insulation. It was presented for the Valorpark label, which rewards commercial activity parks built according to quality development criteria; the Valorpark label award commission judged the project eligible on 5 November 2009. The centre is accessible by road via a circular road linked to the existing network by five roundabouts, and by public transport, formerly served by line 4 of the Irigo urban network and now by line E20 from Angers Saint-Laud station. A second tramway line for the agglomeration was considered to serve L'Atoll, but in June 2010 the agglomeration council voted to prefer serving the centre of Beaucouzé instead.

L'Atoll was developed by the Compagnie de Phalsbourg on the western outskirts of Angers, in the commune of Beaucouzé. The project was designed by Parisian architects Antonio Virga and Vincent Parreira at the request of the cities of Angers and Beaucouzé, the Angers Loire Métropole agglomeration community, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Société d'aménagement de la région d'Angers (SARA). Construction of the roads began in 2009, with an investment estimated at around €170 million at the end of 2008. In April 2009, the planned opening date was pushed back from September 2011 to March 2012. In November 2010, the first stone was symbolically laid by local elected officials, notably the mayor of Angers Jean-Claude Antonini, and by Philippe Journo, president and CEO of Compagnie de Phalsbourg. In April 2012, L'Atoll opened its doors. The day before the official opening, a fireworks display fired from the buildings gathered nearly 5,000 people in the shopping centre. The centre officially opened on 4 April. Centre officials announced that nearly 90,000 people visited L'Atoll on the Saturday following the opening. After six months of operation, the communications director of Compagnie de Phalsbourg announced 3,200,000 visitors, including 1,100,000 during the month of April following the opening, 600,000 in May and then a cruising rate of nearly 500,000 visitors per month. New stores were planned for the end of 2012. After one year of operation, Compagnie de Phalsbourg announced 6,000,000 visitors. To cope with the influx of vehicles on certain days, 700 additional parking spaces were created, bringing the total available spaces to 3,400. The centre is accessible by road via a circular road linked to the existing network by five roundabouts; three of these roundabouts provide access to the central L'Atoll car park. The southern part of the circular road is formed by departmental road 56. Northern access can be via exit 17 Angers-Ouest of the A11 motorway leading to the western ring road of Angers (RD 775) and then to the circular road at RD 56 via an interchange. Southern access can be via the road network of the commune of Beaucouzé, notably via avenue des Échats leading to the south-west roundabout. The shopping centre was served by line 4 of the Irigo urban network (Beaucouzé ↔ Saint-Barthélemy) from Monday to Saturday. Line E20 has now replaced the former line 4 from Angers Saint-Laud station. As part of the project to create the second tramway line of the agglomeration, it was considered that this line would serve L'Atoll. The serving of the centre of Beaucouzé was finally preferred to the shopping centre, according to the wishes of the mayor of the commune, by a vote of the agglomeration council in June 2010. L'Atoll is one of the first shopping parks to be qualified as an 'eco-park' by the city of Angers: consideration of noise, a closed gallery reserved for deliveries, energy savings, rainwater management, photovoltaic solar panels and thermal insulation. L'Atoll was presented to obtain the Valorpark label, which rewards commercial activity parks built according to quality development criteria. The Valorpark label award commission judged the project eligible on 5 November 2009.

• 2015

  The centre counts 64 stores employing 800 employees.

• 2013

  After one year of operation, 6,000,000 visitors are announced; 700 additional parking spaces created, bringing total to 3,400.

• 2012

  In April 2012, L'Atoll opens its doors; official opening on 4 April.

• 2012

  After six months of operation, 3,200,000 visitors are announced.

• 2010

  In November 2010, the first stone is symbolically laid by local elected officials and Philippe Journo.

• 2010

  In June 2010, the agglomeration council votes to prefer serving the centre of Beaucouzé rather than L'Atoll for the second tramway line.

• 2009

  Construction of roads begins.

• 2009

  In April 2009, the planned opening date is pushed back from September 2011 to March 2012.

• 2009

  On 5 November 2009, the Valorpark label award commission judges the project eligible.

• 2008

  Investment estimated at around €170 million at the end of 2008.

Regional shopping and home-equipment destination; largest shopping centre in the Grand Ouest; eco-park certified.

• Shopping centre with 71,000 m² of commercial space

• Home equipment retail

• Eco-park with photovoltaic solar panels and rainwater management

1. 1L'Atoll - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2L'Atoll - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org