Global architecture and urban design practice Broadway Malyan has appointed Ernesto Zabarte to spearhead ambitious growth plans in Southeast Asia’s retail sector.

The company says it plans to target retail-led and mixed-use new build and refurbishment projects around the region.

Ernesto, who joins the practice from Atkins and was previously at RTKL, has over 25 years’ experience in leading multi-disciplinary design teams on large-scale and complex projects including mixed-use schemes, retail centres, hotels, high-rise office and residential complexes in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.

“This strategic appointment is a sign of our intent to accelerate the growth of our practice in Southeast Asia on the back of recent project wins and will reinforce our successful regional business strategy, which is seeing us firmly focused on targeting opportunities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and The Philippines, where the fundamentals of the markets remain strong,” said director Ian Simpson.

As a specialist in retail centre planning and design, from both a creative and technical perspective, Ernesto has led the delivery of award-winning schemes including the Metropolis Shopping Center (Moscow, Russia), Palladium Shopping Centre (Prague, Czech Republic), El Boulevard de Vitoria-Gasteiz (Vitoria, Spain), Centro Estacion Salamanca (Salamanca, Spain) and Raffles City Shopping Centre (Singapore).

In December Broadway Malyan saw the launch of its largest retail centre in China to date, with the Lefo Mall Shopping Centre opening its doors to the public in Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. The 65,000 sqm destination mall sets a new benchmark for commercial development in the region and targets young and design-conscious customers.