Teams that were involved in the project include CBRE,[4] Mace Grup Ltd,[5] Studio XXL,[6] Chapman Taylor Architetti,[7] and Gradnja (from Osijek).

The name of the center, Portanova or “new door,” reflects a term that is based on both the local environment and the site's location on the western entrance to the City of Osijek.

[9] The main vision for the project was to develop a sculptural building that integrates into the urban landscape while presenting a high visual impact in accordance with the principles of contemporary minimalistic architecture.

The building takes the shape of an enormous rock set on the ground, with entrances located in areas where it appears as though pieces of the rock-face have been broken off.

Additionally, the longitudinal shape of the building ensures that every shop is oriented towards the central area of the mall, making it easy for visitors to locate every store in the center.While there are a wide range of retail establishments within Portanova, some anchor tenants that distinguish themselves from other tenants include Konzum Hypermarket, H&M, Müller, Zara, C&A, NewYorker, and Blitz-Cinestar multiplex cinema.