BBI Centar

BBI Centar is a shopping mall in the center of Sarajevo. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an area of 43,000 m² (460,000 sq ft). It was opened on April 6, 2009.[1] The BBI Centar was built on the site where Robna kuća Sarajka, popular state-owned department store, stood during the time Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of SFR Yugoslavia. Construction was between 2006 - 2009.[2] The four middle floors are also home to the headquarters of Al Jazeera Balkans.

BBI Centar

BBI Centar in August 2013
Location	Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates	43°51′29″N 18°24′59″E
Opening date	April 2009[1]
Architect	Sead Gološ
Total retail floor area	43,000 square metres (460,000 sq ft)[1]

469 parking spaces with video surveillance are located on three underground floors. Square in front of BBI Centar is a meeting place for the citizens of Sarajevo. Many events are held on the Square such as an art performance, children's playrooms, workshops, concerts, graduations, and sporting events.

Net floor area specification

• Retail 12,200 m² (131,000 sq ft)
• Office 2,700 m² (29,000 sq ft)
• Restaurant 1,800 m² (19,000 sq ft)
• Storage 2,000 m² (22,000 sq ft)
• Parking 14,600 m² (157,000 sq ft)
• Services 9,700 m² (104,000 sq ft)

Robna kuća Sarajka (shown here in 2005) was built during the early 1970s and opened on 6 April 1975 as Sarajevo's showpiece state-owned department store before getting heavily damaged during the 1992–1995 Bosnian War, and eventually demolished in 2007 to make way for a new privately owned development. BBI Centar got built on the plot of land in city's center where RK Sarajka previously stood.

International Council of Shopping Centers awarded BBI Centar with ReStore Award. This distinction of European Shopping Centre Awards rewards both the developer and the local authority for a successful partnership that delivers a sustainable result for the local and regional community. European Shopping Center Awards are the supreme awards in European retail property.