Chalinarión Arcade

The Chalinarión Arcade (Greek: χαλιναριών Στοά, Chalinarió̱n Stoá; French:Chalinarion d'arcade), from the Greek word meaning Bridle, is a elite department store and Shopping centre on Konstantinoupoleos Avenue in Atlantis, Diadochia. It is one of the precursors of the modern shopping gallery and the modern shopping centre in Pandos.

History

The arcade was built to serve as an elite shopping mall for the highest echelons of the Diadochian nobility and bourgeois by order of Lord George Synadenos, younger brother of the 19th Duke of Phrygia, who had inherited the adjacent Chalinarion House. The Arcade opened its doors to consumers on June 12, 1814. It was one of the first structures in Diadochia to employ gas for lighting. Another innovation was an underground floor, where an electric station would be installed in the 1900s. From the very start the store specialized in jewellery, expensive clothes and other luxury goods, however common people flocked to see the new Arcade.

The Chalinarion Arcade is much more than just a shopping mall, but also as a cultural and social centre for the people of Atlantis. The Arcade was built with coffee-houses, confectioneries, galleries, a concert hall and even a small zoo.

Present day

In recent years the Arcade has expanded to include more tenants. In 1993 a new restaurant opened on the upper level with a panoramic view of Konstantinoupoleos Avenue. The Arcade celebrated its two hundredth anniversary on June 2014. More than 10,000 customers visit the Arcade daily, and during the holiday season the amount of customers triples. Currently. There are at present some Eighty shops located in the Arcade.