The Avenues is the largest shopping centre in Kuwait and is one of the Middle East’s premier retail and leisure destinations. With over 800 stores spread over 425,000 sq. metres, it is considered to be among the largest malls in the world.
The Avenues first opened in 2007 and its second phase was added a year later. The Phase three expansion was completed in 2012 and nearly doubled the size of the original complex.
The seven districts in the development create unique shopping experiences and bring them together under one roof.

Sandy Brown was engaged to provide acoustic advice to achieve a high standard of acoustic quality in the mall. Main considerations for this were:

• acoustic quality and the control of reverberation in public areas
• environmental noise ingress
• appropriate standards of acoustic separation between retail units
• the effect of an ETFE lightweight roof on the acoustic design.

The acoustic quality in the mall is determined by the need to provide a comfortable space that is conducive to shopping. Therefore, our acoustic design for The Avenues provided guidance on control of ambient noise and control of reverberant noise build up.
The mall’s Grand Avenue recreates the feel of a shopping boulevard with a tree-lined walkway and transparent roof structure that enhances the outdoor atmosphere. The ETFE roof construction increased the risk of environmental noise ingress. The proposed interior finishes were modelled and options for provision of sound absorption where developed with the client. We predicted and simulated acoustic quality in the malls and we were able to work with the client to create an atmosphere that was acceptable to them and in keeping with the busy, lively feel of a street.