The destinations of the new Public Access Lagoons™ projects, also known as PAL™ developments, by Crystal Lagoons will be Mediterranean European cities, not very extensive in surface and with very severe climates.
These are Prague, Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest, the capitals of the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Hungary, respectively. These historic cities of high urban, cultural and tourist value worldwide will add an attribute that would have been unthinkable before now: beach life that revolutionizes the experience and quality of life of their inhabitants thanks to the PAL™ projects.
This new contract, in partnership with Romanian developer Forty Management, shows that PAL™ developments are valued by all types of urban lifestyles, even in cities of diverse geographical dimensions and adverse climatic conditions. With the new Hot Reef™ technology it is also possible to create heated bathing areas.
Anyone can access the lagoon and white sandy beaches of the PAL™ complexes upon purchase of a ticket and thus experience a tropical paradise just meters from your doorstep. Around the lagoon, there are private residential areas, hotels, stores, restaurants and other infrastructure that transforms these locations into the most beautiful places in the city.
These large bodies of crystalline water can revitalize urban areas in countries with a more reserved, urban culture but where environmental protection is highly valued. Indeed, the environmentally friendly nature of Crystal Lagoons’ technology was key to sealing these contracts that aim for high standards in carbon neutrality. PAL™ projects are valued for their promise of reducing the global carbon footprint by over 40% (14 million tons of CO2 per year) through the reduction of travel to coastal destinations by about 50%.
These Eastern European projects will be ultra-luxury and offer high-end entertainment. The first projects will be developed in Romania, north of Bucharest, and are due to start construction in the second quarter of 2022. Surrounding the lagoon will be a 5-star hotel with 300 rooms, 300 luxury apartments for rent, office and commercial space, and other services such as restaurants, cinemas, educational centers, retailers, trade fair venues, outdoor terraces and other attractions.
“The man-made lagoon is the centerpiece of the project, not only because it will bring idyllic beach life to the city, but also because it is sustainable and meets our goal of achieving carbon neutrality. We believe in quality of life. It is easy build something out of bricks and stones, but it is difficult to breathe life into a project, to give it a soul that helps create unique moments and joyful experiences,” said Lucian Azoitei, founder and CEO of Forty Management, an award-winning Romanian property developer renowned for its green real estate and urban reconversion projects.
“Around the world and particularly in Europe, PAL™ projects are becoming increasingly attractive because of their disruptive innovation that brings a piece of the ocean to their cities. This phenomenon is similar to what happened in England 200 years ago, when London brought a piece of the forest to the city by introducing the first urban parks,” said Francisco Matte, Crystal Lagoons’ regional director for Europe.
In the same way, Crystal Lagoons is expanding steadily throughout Europe and is in advanced negotiations in Italy (Milan, Verona, Rome and Naples), Ukraine, Portugal, Greece and Georgia. The company has active operations in Turkey and Spain. The latter market has the most advanced projects in Costa del Sol, Murcia, while there is an upcoming PAL™ development on the outskirts of Madrid as well as upcoming contracts under negotiation.
The PAL™ model has attracted the interest of important players worldwide, with contracts of note in the United States (16 PAL™ developments in partnership with Epic and Mattel and 5 with ADËLON in Orlando), South Korea (30 PAL™ projects in partnership with NexPlan), Pakistan (15 PAL™ developments in partnership with Ary Group) and Central America (18 PAL™ developments with successful entrepreneurs in the region).
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