MVRDV unveils design for stacked shopping centre in Chengdu

A series of irregularly stacked boxes will make up the LuLa Light Mall shopping centre, currently under construction in Chengdu, China, by Dutch studio MVRDV.

Encompassing 22,220 square metres, the complex will comprise a 99-metre-tall commercial tower and an adjacent four-storey mall.

It will sit within Luxelakes Eco-City, a 5.5-square-kilometre mixed-use district under development that will provide 1.4-square-kilometres of lakes and greenery for the city.

In contrast to typical shopping centres, MVRDV set out for LuLa Light Mall to be a "porous" complex that would allow visitors to enjoy time outside.

"LuLa Light Mall will be a crucial hub for commercial space in Luxelakes, but in our design we move away from the typical closed, air-conditioned shopping typology towards an airy indoor-outdoor experience," the studio said.

To facilitate this, external walkways and staircases will connect the mall's spaces, which are held within stacked and rotated commercial units fronted with colourful mullions.

Terraces hosted on each unit will provide outdoor space, with their angular layout chosen to optimise views over the surrounding Luxelakes Eco-City development.

Renders of LuLa Light Mall reveal a network of staircases traversing a central atrium. These will connect the outdoor areas at each level – leading up to an expansive terrace on its rooftop and down towards a nearby lake at ground level.

"By opening up space in between units, we extend the park," the studio said. "By shifting boxes, we create outdoor terraces and alleys," it continued.

"Visual connections and inviting staircases will make it more appealing to use the stairs than the lifts and escalators."

The 19-storey tower will sit beside the mall, with raised walkways connecting the two buildings. Similarly to the mall, it will be composed of stacked volumes, complete with expansive glazing and terraces.

To minimise LuLa Light Mall's energy consumption, solar panels on its roofs will generate electricity while its stacked layout will reduce dependence on artificial lighting and cooling by maximising natural light and ventilation.

Elsewhere in Chengdu, Muda Architects recently topped a series of commercial spaces with snaking rooftop walkways and Zaha Hadid Architects used two symmetrical steel arches for a 295-metre-long bridge stretching over the Tuojiang River.

Other recent projects by MVRDV include a public seating area that doubles as "860-square-metre infographic" in Bangkok and the Pixel housing in Abu Dhabi.

The renders are courtesy of MVRDV.

The post MVRDV unveils design for stacked shopping centre in Chengdu appeared first on Dezeen.