Turning old into new: Spesa renews shopping center in Niederfuellbach

Niederfuellbach, Germany – Inviting interior design on a floor space of more than 4,000 m², including a café in the entrance area, as well as 238 ground-level parking spaces outdoors with a spacious width of 3 m – the new E center in Niederfuellbach has a lot to offer. In just 14 months, SPESA Spezialbau und Sanierung GmbH replaced a 50-year-old shopping center with the modern and contemporary E center – also known as the Einkaufszentrum Oberfranken (EZO) – and carried out all tasks as general contractor from demolition to construction of the new building, including the outdoor facilities.

This complex project in an Upper Franconian village of 1,500 inhabitants was planned meticulously. “Preparation is the key,” remarks Spesa Operations Manager Ingo Lehmann, speaking from many years of experience. During construction projects of this magnitude, every aspect is interlinked. “When it comes to planning, we start with the preparations long before construction begins and also look beyond the scope of our work,” says the Operations Manager when explaining the holistic approach.

The demolition of the existing parking facility began in September 2021. More than 10,000 m² of asphalt was broken up during this stage. Once this was completed, the construction of the new market was able to start. The biggest challenge here was the limited space, since the existing market remained operational throughout the process. There was also a gas station on the site, which further restricted the radius of movement. “No matter which tasks we performed here, there was bustling activity just meters away. For this reason, it was immensely important to proceed carefully and coordinate closely with Mario Schleicher, the operating manager of the old and new E center,” highlights Spesa Site Manager Markus Duschl.

While the team was still working on the shell, the first parts of the old building were knocked down elsewhere: Piece by piece, the demolition excavator “chomped” its way from top to bottom and dismantled roughly 16,100 m³ of cubical content. Afterwards, a parking facility and driving area of roughly 10,700 m² was constructed here. Business as usual for the colleagues on the site. Nevertheless, it was anything but typical to demolish the existing market and construct the parking area for the reopening within just three months.

Thanks to a smooth construction process, since October, the inhabitants of Niederfuellbach are now able to shop comfortably in a highly modern atmosphere. “We knew that the market is very important for the region and residents. This made it all the more crucial for us to renovate the market rapidly and create real added value for the shopping experience,” remarks Ingo Lehmann in conclusion.