The Centro Andino is a

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

located in the El Retiro neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Bogota and in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

in general. Andino is made up of a business center and a shopping mall. The business center covers and the mall and contains 205 stores. It is also the home of the only

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmet ...

, Longchamp and Tiffany & Co. stores in the country, becoming the most exclusive and expensive mall in Colombia.

History

The Andino Mall is located on the old school grounds of the Alemán Andino High School, hence the name of the complex. The site was developed by Pedro Gómez y Cia construction firm, and was overseen by architect Piedad Gómez. The planning took 10 years, and its construction began in 1992. It was completed in 1993, along with a business center annex. Other projects have been developed in the surrounding area, including the El Retiro and Atlantis shopping malls. Jointly, these sites have transformed the feel of the area from a mostly residential and housing neighborhood to a distinctly commercial and urban area, including buildings up to 10 stories tall.

Renovations

In 2005, a food court was constructed that included the largest structural dome in the country. On March 3, 2012, there was an announcement that 22 stores distributed over 4 stories will be added.

Accidents

Since the construction of the mall, there have been a few accidents that have resulted in casualties and deaths.

Fire

In February 2008, there was a fire on the third floor of the mall. The fire left three people injured: two having suffered smoke inhalation, and one sustaining cuts on the hand. The most damage was caused when the roof collapsed on one of the rooms in the movie theater. It was later discovered that the fire was caused by a short circuit.

Bombing

On 17 June 2017, a bomb exploded in a second-floor bathroom of the mall, killing three women and injuring about nine others. One of the victims was a 23-year-old French woman who had spent six months volunteering in Colombia. The other two killed were

Colombians Colombians ( es, Colombianos) are people identified with the country of Colombia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Colombians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the sourc ...

. Eight people from a leftist

urban guerilla An urban guerrilla is someone who fights a government using unconventional warfare or domestic terrorism in an urban environment. Theory and history The urban guerrilla phenomenon is essentially one of industrialised society, resting both ...

group called the "People's Revolutionary Movement" were arrested.

References