Public Access Lagoons™️ awarded with the Green Apple Award for their impact on lowering the Carbon Footprint

14/09/2021

At Westminster Palace, the meeting place for the UK’s two houses of Parliament in London, Crystal Lagoons® will receive in the coming days the prestigious environmental prize, the “Green Apple Award“, which recognizes the sustainability of its technology. The award recognizes the contribution of its Public Access Lagoons™ projects, which, once implemented globally, could reduce the carbon footprint of tourism and transportation by more than 40%.

The award acknowledges the environmental contribution of the PAL™ business model and their potential for urban transformation. In ecological terms, a key factor was how PAL™ help reduce the number of people travelling to coastal destinations and natural beaches, which, globally, accounts for around 35 million tons of CO2 annually from automobile and air travel emissions. In urban areas, the PAL™ projects stood out for their disruptive role in bringing beaches to cities, as happened 200 years ago in England, when a piece of forestland was brought to London and urban parks were created.

The PAL™ projects help reduce the number of people commuting and thus generating savings of more than 40% in terms of their carbon footprint. This represents 14 million tons of CO2 (equivalent to 51.3 billion vehicle kilometers), as people can access the beach by walking, cycling, using public transport or taking short car rides.

The award highlights the ecological and transformative value of this new Crystal Lagoons® model, which seeks to integrate quality of life, city, habitat and ecosystem conservation, with a pro-environmental concept that advances carbon neutrality in human economic and social activities.

The “Green Apple Award” is sponsored by various reputable British environmental organizations, such as the UK Environment Agency, the UK Green Building Council, and UK British Environmental Health and Heritage Conservation bodies.

Crystal Lagoons® technology was selected from over 500 entries and the awards ceremony will be held at The Houses of Parliament. In previous years, distinguished organizations have included Lloyds Banking Group, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Volkswagen, Canon, Alstom, Shell, Toshiba and others.

PAL™ developments are built around a clear water lagoon suitable for swimming and water sports. These areas are open to the general public upon payment of an entrance fee and include spaces for fairs, event launches, food halls, weddings, concerts, terraces, domes, as well as gastronomic events, retail, amphitheaters and shows.

Crystal Lagoons® already has 810 PAL™ projects at different stages of development and planning all over the world. Among the most important projects are those in the United States (16 PAL in association with Epic and Mattel and 5 in Orlando), in Korea (30 PAL with the Hyundai-NexPlan consortium), Pakistan (15 PAL in association with Ary Group, the main business holding company), and Central America (18 PAL with successful entrepreneurs in the region).

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Crystal Lagoons achieves new milestones in the inauguration and filling of lagoons in 2023

25-08-2023

Throughout this year, Crystal Lagoons has achieved several milestones. Among them are the inaugurations and filling of lagoons on different continents, Real Estate, and Public Access Lagoons™ projects, also known as PAL™ developments. Many of these complexes stand out for their successful sales performance and also for the impressive size and spectacular nature of their crystalline lagoon.

America

In the United States, the main market for Crystal Lagoons worldwide with 260 projects in different stages of development, the multinational company achieves two significant milestones, both in the state of Florida, where it experiences great dynamism with 51 projects.

The first one is marked by the inauguration of Mirada Lagoon in Tampa, the largest crystalline lagoon in the United States, covering an area of 6 hectares. This is the fourth project in association with Metro Development Group.

On the other hand, in Orlando, the filling of an iconic new crystalline lagoon has been completed, the city’s first. It is situated within the Evermore Orlando Resort tourist complex, located near the renowned Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort theme parks, and will host the first Conrad Hotel in the area. The crystalline lagoon in this project offers the opportunity to enjoy the idyllic beach life experience in the country’s most visited destination.

Latin America leads in openings. Two projects stand out in Paraguay, both in partnership with Raíces Real Estate: Costa del Lago, in Hernandarias, a few minutes from Ciudad del Este, and Aquaterra, in Luque, on the outskirts of Asunción. Once the lagoon of the exclusive residential and hotel complex “The Beach Punta Cana City Place” completes its filling, the Dominican Republic will boast the largest artificial lagoon in the Caribbean, covering an area of 3 hectares.

In Argentina, the most important market for Crystal Lagoons in the region, Remeros Beach, with 3.5 hectares, was inaugurated in the northern area of the capital, Buenos Aires. Baia Kristal, in the top tourist city of Colombia, Cartagena de Indias, is also preparing for its upcoming opening.

Africa

In South Africa, the award-winning and top-selling Munyaka project, driven by Crystal Lagoons in partnership with the country’s main developer, Balwin Properties, achieved a new record by inaugurating the largest crystalline lagoon in the country. Recognized as “Johannesburg’s first beach” this stunning body of turquoise water covers an area equivalent to seven rugby fields.

With more than 31 projects, Egypt has positioned itself as Crystal Lagoons’ most solid market in the MENA region. In 2023, the filling of the lagoons at Swan Lake Stage 3, Fouka Bay, and Il Monte Galala will be completed, with the latter standing out as the world’s first crystal-clear lagoon in a mountainous area.

Crystal Lagoons Brings Beach Life to the Largest Mall in the Colombian Caribbean

28-07-2023

Crystal Lagoons enters the Latin American retail market as part of the largest shopping and entertainment center in the Colombian Caribbean. The central element of the project located in Cartagena de Indias, “Azul de Arenas,” will be a 3-hectare crystalline lagoon suitable for swimming and water sports.

These developments, to which anyone can enter by paying a ticket, also incorporate commerce, a 150-room hotel, offices, apartments, and health centers, among other spaces.

The 120-hectare development is located in this dynamically growing city and will be one of the most important commercial projects, with 110,000 m² of leasable area, highlighting its design and sustainable urbanism, characteristics of Crystal Lagoons® technology.

“Shopping centers today must reinvent themselves and introduce new functional and experiential offerings to the public. PAL™ projects provide an answer to this need, as they not only offer an idyllic beach life but also bring together restaurants, event centers, culture, shows, and attractive activities, factors that enhance public attraction. An example of this is Ary Laguna, one of the largest shopping centers in Pakistan, and the advanced conversations with major US retailer chains,” explains Miguel Ángel Cabañas, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of Crystal Lagoons.

A Long-Term Agreement

Azul de Arenas is part of one of the largest agreements signed by Crystal Lagoons in Latin America, in association with AED Constructores, one of the main real estate firms in the country. The mega-contract includes 13 projects with crystalline lagoons that, in addition to the Colombian Caribbean, will also enhance another tourist icon such as the “Eje Cafetero”.

The success of Baia Kristal, Crystal Lagoons’ first real estate complex in the country, also in partnership with AED Constructores, prompted this company to sign the master agreement to develop projects in Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Pereira, and Cartagena de Indias itself.

“The fact that one of Colombia’s leading developers, such as AED, partners with Crystal Lagoons to build numerous projects, including the largest shopping center in the Colombian Caribbean, shows how our concept and technology are a success in Colombia,” adds Cabañas.

The PAL™ model has piqued the interest of important players worldwide. Crystal Lagoons experienced a record global expansion with these projects. The company entered more than 15 new markets and closed mega-commercial agreements in countries such as Japan, Australia, the United States, India, Korea, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and Central America, among others.

Learn more about our PAL™ projects here.

Crystal Lagoons Enters Guyana and Suriname Boosting Urban and Tourism Development

19-07-2023

Crystal Lagoons already has a strong presence in Latin America, with 200 projects at different stages of development and negotiations in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, the Caribbean region, and other countries.

The regional expansion is set to continue with the addition of Guyana and Suriname, two new markets with a limited geographical area, population, and tourism infrastructure. The company will develop Public Access Lagoons™ projects under a master agreement with Grupo Monarch, a local leading conglomerate of international franchises.

The agreement is centered on developing the real estate, financial and tourist potential that these crystalline lagoons offer, transforming urban lifestyle by introducing idyllic beaches in the middle of major cities.

Recreating urban developments hubs

In Guyana, the venture will seek to capitalize on an expanding economy that has seen a 60% growth in GDP due to the discovery of oil deposits in recent years. The first of several PAL™ projects will be developed in Guyana’s capital Georgetown, which has a coastline with water that is unattractive for bathing.

The new resort will be called “Golf Club Houses & Eco Hotel,” and will feature a lagoon as the central attraction, surrounded by a hotel complex, a golf course, residential homes, and other related infrastructure typical of this public access model.

“The entry of Crystal Lagoons to Guyana and Suriname is proof of the added value of this type of amenity and its role as a catalyst in creating urban development hubs. For the price of an entrance fee, the general public will be able to enjoy the crystalline lagoons and white sandy beaches of the PAL™ complexes, a true tropical paradise in the middle of a city,” said Miguel Angel Cabañas, regional director of Crystal Lagoons for Latin America and the Caribbean.

These large bodies of crystalline water maximize the touristic potential of urban areas in different countries and cultures through the creation of environmentally friendly hotspots. PAL™ projects have received a number of international awards for their sustainable technology that has been certified by Bureau Veritas for its minimal use of water – which is 40% lower than a green area of equivalent size and 33 times less than an 18-hole golf course – and energy, which is only 2% of the power required by conventional swimming pool filtration systems.

Know more about our PAL™ projects here!