Fire protection in shopping centres: how to achieve safe, compartmentalised spaces
Shopping centres are highly frequented spaces where fire protection is essential to ensure user safety and preserve the integrity of the building. An example in Spain is the fire at the La Vaguada Shopping Centre in Madrid, where the rapid spread of the fire highlighted the need for protection systems adapted to this type of building.
What will you discover in this article?
- We identify the main challenges that shopping centres present in terms of fire protection: open design, simultaneous evacuation and sectors with different thermal loads.
- We analyse the requirements of the CTE (Technical Building Code) in terms of compartmentalisation and the fire resistance criteria applicable to this type of building.
- We examine the advantages of fire curtains as compartmentalisation solutions, capable of responding to the specific characteristics of shopping centres.
Why are shopping centres a challenge for fire protection?
Shopping complexes have a number of characteristics that differentiate them from other types of buildings and pose unique challenges in terms of fire protection. Below, we have grouped together the main challenges and how compartmentalisation solutions can address them efficiently, ensuring safety without compromising the functionality of these spaces.
High footfall and simultaneous evacuation
One of the main challenges facing shopping centres is the large number of people who pass through their facilities every day. Especially during peak periods, such as weekends or sales seasons, the corridors, leisure areas and restaurants are filled with visitors. This creates a scenario where, in the event of a fire, evacuation becomes more complex due to the large number of people who must leave the building simultaneously. It is essential that evacuation routes are well planned and that compartmentalisation systems control the spread of fire and smoke.
Large open-plan spaces with multiple levels
Shopping centres are designed to offer a comfortable and seamless shopping experience, resulting in an open-plan layout with multiple entrances and corridors connecting the shops. While this configuration facilitates the flow of people, it also facilitates the rapid spread of fire and smoke, as there are no permanent physical barriers to stop their advance.
In addition, the multi-level layout adds a layer of complexity, as fire and smoke can move quickly between floors via escalators, lifts and ventilation ducts. It is therefore crucial to correctly compartmentalise each floor to prevent the vertical spread of fire and ensure that people can evacuate safely from any level of the building.
Risk diversity according to the type of premises
The variety of establishments in shopping centres introduces different levels of fire risk. From clothing stores that store large quantities of flammable textiles to restaurants that operate industrial kitchens that represent potential sources of ignition, each premises requires a specific approach to managing fire risk. The diversity of these businesses means that fire protection must be flexible and capable of adapting to the needs of each establishment to prevent a fire in one premises from spreading to other areas of the centre.
Warehouses, industrial kitchens and technical areas with high fire loads
In large shopping centres, warehouses and storage areas, usually located in rear or underground areas, represent a significant risk. These spaces often contain large quantities of flammable products, such as cardboard, plastics and other packaging materials, which increases the fire load. A fire in a warehouse can grow rapidly if left unchecked, affecting not only the stored products but also the rest of the building. Proper compartmentalisation of these areas is crucial to contain a fire at its source and prevent it from spreading to other commercial areas.
The key role of passive protection in fire safety strategies for shopping centres
When designing any fire safety system, it is essential to differentiate between active and passive protection strategies. Both are complementary and must be considered from the initial stages of the project. Below, we take a closer look at the role of passive protection, its regulatory and technical foundations, and how its correct implementation allows a fire to be contained from the outset.
What is passive protection and what are its objectives?
Passive fire protection encompasses a set of construction and technical solutions designed to limit the spread of fire and smoke. Unlike active systems, it does not require activation mechanisms or human intervention: it acts through its own composition and resistance from the moment the fire starts.
Thus, the objectives of passive protection are to confine the fire to the area where it originated, preventing its horizontal and vertical spread; to maintain the stability of the building, preserving the resistance of load-bearing elements exposed to fire; to protect evacuation routes, ensuring that smoke and hot gases do not invade transit areas; and to facilitate the work of emergency response teams.
One of the most important passive protection strategies is compartmentalisation, which consists of dividing the building into fire sectors using elements with certified fire resistance so that, in the event of a fire, the fire and smoke are confined to a limited compartment.
Although this has traditionally been achieved with walls, fire doors or rigid partitions, in complex environments such as shopping centres, fire curtains and smoke barriers offer a more effective and flexible alternative, allowing compartmentalisation without altering the design or limiting the operation of the building, as we will see later.
Relationship between active and passive protection: complementary and synergistic systems
Active and passive protection should not be understood as independent systems, but rather as two interdependent pillars within a comprehensive fire safety strategy. Their correct interaction makes it possible to reduce the speed at which a fire spreads, limit the area affected, improve the effectiveness of active systems (sprinklers, detectors, fire extinguishers), and increase the time available for evacuation and intervention by emergency teams.
For example, in a shopping centre, a fire in an industrial kitchen can be quickly contained by an automatic sprinkler system, while a fire curtain prevents it from spreading to the main corridor or adjacent shops, preserving the functionality of the building and minimising damage. This synergy is especially important in open-plan buildings, where physical barriers are scarce and the risk of rapid spread is high.
The importance of SCTEH systems and their coordination with fire curtains
In shopping centres, smoke is one of the main risk factors in the event of a fire. Its accumulation can block evacuation routes, reduce visibility and raise the temperature to critical levels, even in areas far from the source of the fire. To fulfil these functions, it is necessary to divide the total volume of the building into smoke reservoirs, delimited by textile barriers that channel the gases towards extraction points.
Compartmentalisation solutions for shopping centres: flexibility and efficiency
Within passive fire protection, compartmentalisation is the most effective measure for limiting the spread of fire and smoke, ensuring that the building is divided into sealed sections and allowing for safe evacuation. Among all compartmentalisation solutions, fire curtains and smoke control barriers represent a major advance in spaces such as shopping centres.
Technical advantages of fire curtains and smoke control barriers
Fire curtains and smoke control barriers offer a solution for compartmentalisation in shopping centres. They are deployed only in the event of a fire and remain hidden during normal use of the building, avoiding the need for visible fixed enclosures. This allows compliance with regulatory fire resistance requirements (EI, EW, DH/DA) without interfering with the operation or layout of the space. Their modular, lightweight and adaptable installation facilitates integration into different types of structures without overloads or heavy construction work.
Flexible partitioning for large spaces and diverse configurations
Thanks to their design and ability to reach large dimensions, these solutions allow spaces with complex geometries to be compartmentalised, such as double heights, atriums, longitudinal corridors or vertical cores. Unlike conventional construction elements, the curtains adapt to the project, not the other way around. This allows for effective partitioning even in projects with variable layouts or areas that require open passageways until the system is activated.
Compatibility with architectural design and user experience
Fire curtains blend seamlessly into their surroundings, without disrupting visual continuity or architectural design. This discretion is particularly important in commercial spaces, where aesthetics and perceived comfort directly influence the user experience. They are only activated automatically in emergency situations, allowing for an open, accessible and attractive environment to be maintained without compromising the required levels of protection.
Optimisation of usable space without compromising safety
As they do not require partitions, doors or other elements that reduce the usable surface area, these solutions allow for the commercial use of the available space to be maximised. They are ideal in transit areas, sales areas or common spaces where every square metre counts. Compartmentalisation also provides freedom to redistribute uses or adapt layouts without losing the ability to divide the space, improving the profitability and flexibility of the project.
What can Tecnitex contribute to a fire protection project in shopping centres?
Passive fire protection in shopping centres requires technical solutions that not only comply with regulations but also precisely adapt to the needs of each project: building geometry, different uses, architectural design, evacuation requirements and operational constraints.
Tecnitex is a partner specialising in textile solutions for compartmentalisation and smoke control, providing engineering, products, quality control and comprehensive technical support, ensuring that each system is designed, installed and maintained with the utmost technical and regulatory rigour.
AD-HOC design for each commercial project
Each shopping centre has a unique configuration, both architecturally and functionally. That is why at Tecnitex we work with a completely personalised approach, analysing the geometry of the building, the use of spaces and evacuation routes to design tailor-made solutions that ensure effective compartmentalisation without affecting the centre’s operations.
Our systems are integrated from the project phase, in coordination with engineers, architects, and safety managers, to ensure that each fire curtain or smoke barrier fulfils its specific function within the overall fire protection system.
Experience in large spaces and public areas
Tecnitex has extensive experience in large-scale projects, both nationally and internationally, in shopping centres, stations, hospitals, airports and logistics spaces. This experience allows us to anticipate the specific technical challenges of public buildings. In addition, we have developed solutions that cover different needs.
In-house manufacturing and total process control
One of Tecnitex’s main strengths is that we design, manufacture, test and verify all our systems internally, from technical fabrics to electronic control units. This vertical integration allows us to:
- Adapt the product to the actual specifications of the project.
- Reduce delivery times.
- Ensure total quality control at every stage.
- Agilely introduce technical improvements in line with regulatory or functional developments.
In addition, our systems are tested in accordance with European standards (EN 13501-2, EN 1634-1, EN 12101-1) and have Technical Suitability Assessment Reports, guaranteeing their documentary validity for licences and project management.
Technical support and specialised regulatory consulting
Beyond the product itself, Tecnitex offers a technical and regulatory consulting service that adds real value to the design of each PCI system. We advise on the interpretation and application of the CTE (Technical Building Code), assess specific risks to the building, and work closely with project managers to justify each solution in accordance with current regulations.
Our technical team is made up of engineers specialising in fire protection and building safety, which allows us to accompany the client from the calculation of requirements to the final validation of the system on site, ensuring that each installation not only works, but is also correctly documented and audited.
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